Centre bans offshoots of al-Qaeda, Islamic State under anti-terror law

Al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham-Khorasan have been declared unlawful by the Union Home Ministry.

 The Central government has banned new offshoots of the al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) under the anti-terror Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), according to an official order.

Both Al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham-Khorasan (ISIS-K) (an Afghanistan-based affiliate of IS), have been declared unlawful by the Union Home Ministry as they were found to be radicalising Indian youths for “global jihad” and encouraging terror acts on Indian interests, it said.

The ISIS-K is also known as Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP)/ISIS Wilayat Khorasan, the order said.

The AQIS is a terrorist organisation that has committed acts of terrorism in the neighbouring countries and had been promoting and encouraging terror acts on Indian interests in the Indian subcontinent, the order said. It has been attempting radicalisation and recruitment of youths from India, the order said.

The ISKP/ISIS Wilayat Khorasan was also promoting and encouraging terrorism in the Indian subcontinent, according to the order. It had been committing terrorist acts to consolidate its position by recruiting youths for ‘global jihad’ and to achieve the objective of establishing its own ‘caliphate’ by overthrowing democratically elected governments, the order said.

The UAPA has strict penal provisions to deal with banned organisations and their members.