Al-Qaida’s links with Pak-based terror groups like LeT, JeM continue to strengthen: India at UN

TIL Desk/World/New York/ Al-Qaida’s linkages with UNSC proscribed Pakistan-based terror groups like LeT and JeM has continued to strengthen, India’s envoy to the UN has said, underlining that the recent developments in Afghanistan have only served to re-energise the terrorist group.

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti told the International Counter-Terrorism Conference 2022 organised by the Global Counter-Terrorism Council on Tuesday that the Islamic State (ISIS) has changed its modus operandi with its core focus is now on regaining ground in Syria and Iraq, and its regional affiliates are strengthening their expansion, especially in Africa and in Asia.

Similarly, al-Qaida remains a major threat and recent developments in Afghanistan have only served to re-energise them. Al-Qaida’s linkages with Security Council proscribed terrorist entities like Lashkar e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed has continued to strengthen. Its regional affiliates in Africa continue to expand, he said.

Tirumurti, who is also the Chair of the UNSC Counter-terrorism Committee for 2022, said that in the global counter-terrorism domain, the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001 had proved to be a turning point in our approach towards terrorism.