New Delhi, September 21, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) is reportedly seeking to bring multiple terror groups operating across India, Pakistan and Bangladesh under a common command structure, with intelligence agencies warning that the move could increase the threat of coordinated attacks.
According to intelligence inputs, AQIS believes the fragmentation of various groups has limited their operational effectiveness and is seeking to position itself as an umbrella organisation to coordinate their activities.
An Intelligence Bureau official said several splinter groups operate independently across the three countries, with no established common command structure.
The official said AQIS was not focused on routine attacks and was instead seeking to prepare for a major operation.
“It is not interested in carrying out routine bomb blasts or targeted killings. The outfit wants to mount an attack on the scale of 9/11 and therefore believes it needs a much larger force to carry out such an operation,” the official said.
Groups identified by intelligence officials as following Al-Qaeda’s ideology include Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islamic (HuJI), Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Anar-al-Islam, Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), Harkat-ul-Mujahideen-Brigade 313, Ansar-ut-Tawhid wa al-Jihad and Anzar Ghazwat ul-Hind (AGuH).
Officials said these groups have largely operated independently, which has limited their ability to coordinate large-scale operations.
“However, bringing all these groups under a single command structure, with AQIS at the helm, would make the grouping far more dangerous. This is what AQIS wants to achieve,” intelligence officials said.
Another official said that if such an organisational consolidation is completed, AQIS could seek to target high-value locations, including government buildings, sensitive sites and military installations.
The official said AQIS does not want to operate as a conventional terror group and instead seeks to develop capabilities for operations on a scale comparable to military action.
Intelligence officials also linked the reported strategy to Al-Qaeda’s competition with the Islamic State.
AQIS was formed in 2014 after Islamic State founder Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi announced the establishment of his so-called caliphate. The development marked a significant shift in the rivalry between Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State and their respective regional affiliates.
The killing of Al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden and later the death of Ayman al-Zawahiri contributed to a decline in the organisation’s operational strength and recruitment, according to officials. Al-Qaeda subsequently operated through different regional and continental structures.
Officials said recent developments indicate an attempt by the organisation to return to a more centralised operational structure.
A video featuring Osama bin Laden’s son Hamza bin Laden was released by Al-Qaeda around the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Intelligence officials viewed the development as a possible indication of the organisation’s efforts to revive its earlier centralised leadership model.
From India’s national security perspective, intelligence agencies have described AQIS’s reported attempt to bring different groups under one umbrella as a significant concern.
An intelligence official said the development could potentially strengthen Al-Qaeda’s organisational network, particularly if Hamza bin Laden were to assume a formal leadership role.
The official also said that the presence of individuals influenced by Bin Laden’s ideology in India added to the security concerns surrounding the reported plans.
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