UN Secretary General’s report on ISIL must cover LeT & JeM: India

NEW DELHI: India on Wednesday suggested that the UN Secretary General’s report on ISIL must include activities of the proscribed terrorist entities under ISIL and Al Qaida Sanctions regime like Lashkar-e-Taiba and other Pakistan based terror groups like Jaish-e-Mohammad and frontal organizations that raise funds for their activities.

The current report of the UN Secretary General on ISIL reiterates the necessity of a forceful and decisive global fight against terrorism.

“The UNSG’s report also provides an account of activities of ISIL-K, including the appointment of its new leader, Shahab al-Mujahir. He has close links with the proscribed Haqqani Network and earlier operated in the Af-Pak region as an Al Qaida commander. It is essential that we don’t lose sight of the ease with which the proscribed Haqqani Network and its supporters, especially with support from Pakistani authorities, have worked along with prominent terrorist organizations like Al-Qaida, ISIL K, etc. in South Asia,” India’s permanent envoy to UN TS Tirumurti told UNSC Briefing on ‘Threats to International Peace and Security Caused by Terrorist Acts’.

“In our view, the UNSG’s report on ISIL should also cover activities of the proscribed terrorist entities under ISIL and Al Qaida Sanctions regime like Lashkar-e-Taiba and other Pakistan based terror groups like Jaish-e-Mohammad and frontal organizations that raise funds for their activities. The world is fully aware that these groups also perpetrate terrorist activities from safe havens in Pakistan, including through violent attacks in Afghanistan that have disrupted the peace process,” Tirumurti said.

The report makes it amply clear that despite its territorial defeat, ISIL (Da’esh) activities are on the rise, and its presence and activities are affecting significant parts of Africa, beyond its core area of operations in Syria and Iraq, Tirumuriti said, adding that the Covid-19 pandemic has further resulted in terrorism getting a fillip across the world.

Easy access to new and emerging technologies, including drones, virtual currencies, encrypted communications, and artificial intelligence (AI) has enabled ISIL and other terrorist groups to adapt to the pandemic-affected world and exploit current conditions to their advantage. Social media networks have also contributed to the radicalization and recruitment of youth. These new methods have resulted in greater freedom and tactical autonomy to ISIL affiliates, the senior diplomat pointed out.

“As a result, ISIL is gaining strength not only in Syria and Iraq, but also in Yemen, Sahel, West Africa, and Central Africa region. Al Qaeda, Haqqani Network, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba continue to flourish and operate with impunity in the AfPak region. The modus operandi of ISIL has also changed, as is evident from the lone wolf attacks occurring in Europe. This changed and reinvigorated ISIL poses a new set of challenges to our collective efforts in our fight against ISIL and terrorism.”

India has taken part in all major global initiatives against international terrorism and is party to all 13 United Nations’ sectoral conventions relating to terrorism.