Islamic State threatens Bangladesh-based attacks in India: Report

Islamic State has reportedly chosen Bangladesh as its base in South Asia for its geographic position, and the radical group wants to carry out attacks in India from here.

The Indian media on Thursday reported the threat IS made in the latest issue of its propaganda magazine Dabiq the day before.
 
According to the Hindustan Times, the magazine published an interview of Shaykh Abu Ibrahim al-Hanif, the so-called chief of IS fighters in Bangladesh.
 
Bangladesh is an important region for the IS’s so-called caliphate and global jihad due to its “strategic geographic position”, Hanif said in the interview, according to the Hindustan Times.
 
India is not on the list of a number of countries, including some in Europe, that have suffered IS attacks.
 
The group based in Iraq and Syria has claimed credit for several attacks in Bangladesh, including the murders of foreigners and attacks on Shias and Ahmadiyyas.
 
The government and the security forces have denied activities of the group in the country.

Islamic State surfaced in the 2013 as the influence of al-Qaeda began to wane. It emerged as Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) by taking control of swaths of the countries and declared the so-called caliphate.

After being weakened by Russian airstrikes and advances by US-led and Syrian forces, the outfit has reportedly been conducting attacks in other countries. The attacks include those in Paris last November and the recent ones in Brussels.

Now its so-called Bangladesh wing chief Hanif threatened attacks in India in Dabiq’s 14th issue.

The Hindustan Times quoted Hanif as saying in the interview, “Bengal is located on the eastern side of India, whereas Wilayat Khurasan is located on its western side.” 

“Thus, having a strong jihad base in Bengal will facilitate performing guerrilla attacks inside India simultaneously from both sides and facilitate creating a condition of tawahhush (fear and chaos) in India along with the help of the existing local mujahidin there...,” he added, according to the report.