Indian intelligence agencies have found out that ISIS is trying to foment trouble in Kashmir using Hoop channels, Telegram channels and Twitter. Hoop channels, namely “The Resistance Front” and “Al-Tijara”, condemned the Jammu and Kashmir Police by sharing posters of the same and appealed to Kashmiris to boycott the Indian security forces. The channels lauded strategies of Pakistan-backed ISIS of attacking security forces and urged for launching continued attacks on them.
Threat messages were also posted by Telegram channels such as Al Muwahideen, Al Haqeeqah Media, Baqiyah State, Insight Kashmir, Kashmir Intel, The Joint Kashmir Front, Neo, Alhizbi, Wolfaksh, Jehlum Media and TheCommuneMag. Alongside these, the responsibility of various attacks in Kashmir was taken by these channels with reverence to slain terrorists. The hostility did not stop here, videos of senior leaders and terrorist groups preaching “jihad” to Kashmiris were also shared.
Malicious propaganda was shared through Twitter handles like ‘@ispionline’, @kashmirosint’, ‘@Frontalfire’ and ‘@JhadoScope’, and claims of ISIS exploiting the Covid-19 situation to rebuild and increase recruitment were also tweeted. Release of a new publication, The Supporter’s Security, aiming at educating security awareness among ISIS supporters and information on ‘Discord’, a gaming application, used for spreading ISIS global propaganda were also shared. These Twitter accounts added that Al-Qaeda had called Kashmir the gateway to “Ghazwa-e-Hind” while “@siteintelgroup” stated that Al-Qaeda had urged Indian Muslims to rise up against the Citizenship Law.
A series of videos related to “Lone Wolf” attacks were uploaded by pro-AQBD (Al-Qaeda in Bangladesh) propaganda website www.dawahilallah.com. The speaker, in those videos, was seen indicating target selection and explaining ways to carry out reconnaissance and execute a successful attack. The video stated that since Visa processes to enter India from Bangladesh are easier, India is an ideal destination for carrying out ‘Lone Wolf’ attacks. Key targets including vital installations/highranking officials/security forces personnel/Right-wing leaders/ business operatives/government employees/ MNC personalities, etc, were also mentioned.
The following people and places were also directed in the videos to be selected as targets—people with Indian interests, anyone who fled Bangladesh and speaks against the Prophet, any non-Muslim in higher posts or people from NATO Countries (except Turkey), American Cultural Centres, any institution run by US or Australia, any Indian publisher/media house personnel who are identified as anti-Prophet, ISKCON and its followers, lounge, dance bars, and pubs, etc.