New Delhi, August 24, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Security agencies are examining what they describe as growing coordination between the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Al Qaeda in the Indian Sub-continent (AQIS), amid concerns that the two groups are attempting to expand their networks and exploit local grievances to create unrest in different parts of India.
According to an Intelligence Bureau official cited in the report, recent modules busted by Indian agencies have shown indications of an ideological convergence between JeM and AQIS. The official said JeM has been attempting to use AQIS-linked networks in India, particularly in northern states, as it works to rebuild its capabilities in Jammu and Kashmir.
The official said AQIS, meanwhile, is seeking to expand its cells in India to propagate its ideology. The alleged collaboration is being examined as part of a broader strategy in which different terror outfits could share resources and pursue common objectives.
One of the concerns being assessed by agencies is an alleged plan to provoke mass unrest. Officials said operatives are not necessarily organised into large groups and may remain dispersed among the general population, making their identification and tracking difficult.
According to the assessment, some individuals are allegedly being tasked with identifying local issues that could be exploited to trigger protests, unrest or social tensions. Investigators believe smaller cells, comprising two or three people, could be used to radicalise individuals and encourage them to disturb communal and social harmony.
Officials said such a strategy could pose a significant challenge to security agencies if incidents were attempted simultaneously across multiple states. Apart from affecting law and order, they said, such activity could deepen social divisions.
The security assessment also points to alleged efforts to recruit individuals in Jammu and Kashmir for targeted attacks against non-locals and Kashmiri Pandits. JeM is also reportedly working with Lashkar-e-Tayiba (LeT) in Jammu and Kashmir, including in connection with fedayeen attacks.
Officials said JeM and LeT were also examining joint infiltration strategies, under which infiltrating terrorists remain concealed in forest areas before receiving instructions to carry out attacks. The report links this approach to the strategy allegedly used before the Pahalgam attack.
The agencies are also examining possible connections involving AQIS in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the alleged network could have implications for West Bengal and northeastern states.
The assessment further indicates that LeT could operate alongside Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISK), while JeM could coordinate with AQIS as part of separate but potentially interconnected operational strategies.
Officials described the alleged activities as a multi-pronged effort involving Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), aimed at keeping India under pressure on multiple fronts.
The claims and assessments cited in the report are based on intelligence inputs and ongoing investigations. Security agencies are continuing to examine the alleged networks, their recruitment activities and possible links between modules operating in different parts of the country.
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