Combat Roles, Propaganda Drive Indian Recruits Towards ISKP in Afghanistan

NEW DELHI:
In 2019 there were an estimated 200 Indians who were part of the Islamic State, but some of the returnees during questioning had said that they were given menial jobs and looked down upon. However that has changed and now the Islamic State is moving most of its Indian origin operatives into Afghanistan, where the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) is wooing them through combat roles and propaganda glorifying them.

Earlier, all these operatives had moved from India and other middle eastern countries to be part of the outfit in Syria and Iraq. Some of the returnees complained of being given menial jobs and many recruits had reported that they were disgruntled and wanted to return to their country.

However, the situation has changed with the Islamic State moving Indian origin operatives into Afghanistan where ISKP dominates.

The outfit which has managed to radicalise scores of Indian youth is also trying to get them out of India and place them in Afghanistan.

The Indian operatives prefer Afghanistan over Syria and Iraq for a variety of reasons. They find the cultures to be similar when compared to the Arab nations. Further, they have also found it easier to operate within Afghanistan when compared to Syria or Iraq, officials say.

The agencies are keeping a close watch for any possible movement of Islamic State operatives from India to Afghanistan. It is clear that the ISKP has lost a lot of men and hence wants more people in its outfit.

Among all the countries it has recruited from, the outfit found it is the Indian operatives who were more interested in fighting in Afghanistan when compared to other countries.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that the route may not be a direct one. Many would attempt going to the Gulf nations before they could travel to Afghanistan. This, the ISKP feels would keep the heat low and they could make a safe entry into Afghanistan.

Prior to setting up operations in Afghanistan, the operatives from India could choose only between Syria and Iraq. Hearing some of the horror stories narrated by the returnees or those pleading to return, the recruitments from India had gone down considerably.

These operatives were given menial jobs and never allowed on the battlefield and this had led to a lot of disgruntlement among the cadres from India. However the situation in Afghanistan is completely different. Not only are they being given combatant jobs, but are also being used as suicide bombers. This has made Afghanistan an attractive proposition for the Indian recruits.

Three recent examples of Indian recruits being chosen as suicide bombers are Abu Khalid al-Hindi, Abu Rajah al-Hindi and Najeeb al-Hindi.

This is however not the only aspect which is attracting the Indian recruits. These persons who take part in attacks or are chosen as suicide bombers are made into heroes by the ISKP.

The outfit has a sophisticated communication platform which is used to spread its propaganda. In one issue of the outfit’s magazine Voice of Khorasan, Najeeb’s story was featured in four pages.

Like Najeeb, another operative from Kerala, Abu Khalid al-Hindi, too, featured in the same magazine.

The article speaks about their sacrifices and how they fought all difficulties and reached Afghanistan. Such cases are being used widely by the ISKP to brainwash and recruit.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that in recent months, the activity online has gone up multifold. What is attracting the youth is the amount of importance the ISKP has been giving to Indian operatives.

The bigger plan is to recruit thousands from India and ensure that they make their way into Afghanistan. With the situation in the region getting harder, the ISKP is in need of men to wage a battle and they find the Indian recruits best suited for the job. This would be an ongoing process and the agencies would need to remain on a state of high-alert officials say.