India steps up security as al-Qa'ida announces local franchise
India is said to have upped security after the leader of al-Qa’ida announced he had established a branch of the militant network in the Indian sub-continent and sought to reach out to Muslims from Burma to Kashmir
Speaking during a 55-minute video message, Ayman al Zawahiri, who became the leader of al-Qa’ida after the US killed Osama bin Laden in 2011, said he wanted to “raise the flag of jihad†across South Asia.
“Al-Qa’ida is an entity that was formed to promulgate the call of the reviving imam, Sheikh Osama Bin Laden. May Allah have mercy upon him,†said the 63-year-old Zawahiri.
He urged the Muslim world to “wage jihad against its enemies, to liberate its land, to restore its sovereignty and to revive its caliphateâ€. He also re-pledged loyalty to Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar.
Reports on Indian television said that at least three states with large Muslim populations had been put on alert, and that Home Minister Rajnath Singh has met with aides to discuss the video. Intelligence officials were said to be trying to confirm its authenticity.
India is no stranger to militant attacks. In 2008 the city of Mumbai was besieged for three days by Pakistani fighters linked to the outlawed Lashkar-e-Taiba group. More than 160 people were killed.
India is said to have upped security after the leader of al-Qa’ida announced he had established a branch of the militant network in the Indian sub-continent and sought to reach out to Muslims from Burma to Kashmir
Speaking during a 55-minute video message, Ayman al Zawahiri, who became the leader of al-Qa’ida after the US killed Osama bin Laden in 2011, said he wanted to “raise the flag of jihad†across South Asia.
“Al-Qa’ida is an entity that was formed to promulgate the call of the reviving imam, Sheikh Osama Bin Laden. May Allah have mercy upon him,†said the 63-year-old Zawahiri.
He urged the Muslim world to “wage jihad against its enemies, to liberate its land, to restore its sovereignty and to revive its caliphateâ€. He also re-pledged loyalty to Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar.
Reports on Indian television said that at least three states with large Muslim populations had been put on alert, and that Home Minister Rajnath Singh has met with aides to discuss the video. Intelligence officials were said to be trying to confirm its authenticity.
India is no stranger to militant attacks. In 2008 the city of Mumbai was besieged for three days by Pakistani fighters linked to the outlawed Lashkar-e-Taiba group. More than 160 people were killed.
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