The Islamic State (Isis), with a receding presence in the Middle East, has been desperately looking for fresh battlefields for its survival and the Indian sub-continent has never gone out of its radar. Pushed back by multiple fronts in the Middle East conflict zones, it appears the radical Islamist group now wants its presence to be felt in India’s troubled Kashmir region, like reported by ibtimes.co.uk.

The Sunni extremist organisation claimed one of its operatives was responsible for the killing of a police constable in Srinagar, capital of northern Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, on Sunday, 25 February – a striking claim by the group signalling its desire to gain a foothold.

Attackers managed to escape after the incident along with slain officer’s rifle and officials have not yet ascertained who was behind the killing. Shortly after the incident, the Isis carried a brief statement in its mouthpiece Al Amaq News Agency saying: “Assassinated an element of police in firing near the city of Srinagar in Kashmir yesterday [Sunday].”

The killed policeman was guarding a residence of a local separatist leader. This is the second time in the last three months, the Isis organisation has claimed responsibility for an attack on Indian security forces though the state and federal authorities have repeatedly downplayed such assertions.

Intelligence agencies are still working on verifying the claim, which if proved, could have serious ramifications in terms of security measures and anti-terror operations.

For the first time in acknowledging the possible presence of Isis in Kashmir, the state police chief SP Vaid told the Indian broadcaster NDTV that it was “indeed a worrying sign because Isis foothold in Kashmir will have a different meaning”. He, however, added: “There doesn’t seem to be any substantial presence of Isis.”

“I only wish it doesn’t happen in Kashmir. I am sure with the cooperation of people, we will not allow another Syria or Iraq in Kashmir,” added Vaid.

Kashmir, a hotbed for separatist insurgency and Islamic militancy in recent decades, has its own set of troubles offered by locally groomed extremist organisations and the threats emerging from neighbouring Pakistan. The valley of Kashmir is a heavily disputed territory, centred on which the nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan fought two major wars since their independence.

One of the key militants thought to be involved in the attack was Esa Fazili and there have been concerns that he could have pledged allegiance to the Isis. “There were apprehensions that Esa may have links with the Islamic State. Yesterday’s incident and the Isis claim has given credence to such reports,” a senior officer from the Kashmir security establishment told the Indian Express.

In May 2016, the Isis had released a chilling video calling for Indian Muslims to join the jihadand launch attacks across the country. That was the first video, a 22-minute-long footage, released for India and South Asia by the extremist group to seek revenge for the alleged sufferings of Muslims in the country.

Five Indians, who had travelled to the Middle East, and some unidentified members were seen in that Arabic video at that time.

A major attack by the militants affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria /ISIS) terrorist group was repulsed in northern Jawzjan province of Afghanistan, leaving several militants dead or wounded, like reported by khaama.com.

The 209th Shaheen Corps of the Afghan National Arnmy in thr North said a large group of ISIS militants launched a large scale attack in Darzad district but their attack was repulsed by the security forces.

The source further added that nine militants were killed and thirteen others were wounded after the Afghan forces responded to the militants attack.

According to Shaheen Corps, the attack was launched on security posts of the Afghan National defense and security forces but did not elaborate further if the Afghan forces suffered any casualty or not.

The anti-government armed militant and terrorist groups have not commented regarding the report so far.

Jawzjan is among the relatively volatile provinces in the North where the anti-government armed militant groups including the Taliban insurgents are actively operating in some of its districts.

At least fourteen militants affiliated with the terror group were killed during the airstrikes conducted in this province earlier this month.

The 209th Shaheen Corps of the Afghan Military in the North said at least two foreign nationals hailing from Uzbekistan were also among those killed.

The Shaheen Corps further added that the airstrikes were carried out on ISIS hideouts in Sardara, Maktab Imam Bukhtari, Bibi Maryam, Aqsai, and Maimana Qeshlaq areas of Darzab.

At least three militants were killed in a US airstrike in eastern Laghman province of Afghanistan, like reported by khaama.com.

The 20st Silab Corps of the Afghan Military in the East said the latest airstrike was carried out in the vicinity of Alingar district.

The source further added that a local commander of the militants was also wounded in the airstrike that eliminated a hideout of a terror group in Noor Lam Sahib valley.

The airstrike did not incur any casualties to the ordinary civilians as well as the militants involved in the operations, the Silab Corps added.

Laghman has been among the relatively calm provinces in the East since the fall of the Taliban regime but the anti-government armed militants have been attempting increase insurgency activities in this province.

Laghman is located close to Nangarharhar province where both the Taliban and militants loyal Islamic State are actively operating in some of its remote districts.

Local officials often report airstrikes on Taliban and ISIS loyalists in some districts of Laghman province.

The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab police on Wednesday claimed to have arrested three terrrists during a raid in Mughalpura area of the city, like reported by thenews.com.pk.

According to a spokesman for the CTD, the suspected terrorists have been identified as Abdur Rehman, Amir Saleem and Shoaibur Rehman.

Geo News reported that the suspects are afflifiated with Islamic State militant group (Daesh).

The CTD spokesman said explosive material and arms were also recovered from the possession of the suspects.

They were shifted to an unknown location for interrogation.

A commander of the Public Uprising Forces who was previously serving as the commander of General Abdul Rashid Dostum has been killed in Taliban’s ambush in northern Jawzjan province of Afghanistan, like reported by khaama.com.

According to the local security officials, Commander Abdul Jalil was killed late on Tuesday afternoon in the vicinity of Dasht-e-Lili.

Provincial security chief Faqir Mohammad Jawzjani said Commander Jalil and his driver were patrolling the area in Bashikod area when they were ambushed by the Taliban insurgents.

He said Commander Jawzjani and his driver were killed in the ambush of the Taliban insurgents and their vehicle was set on fire.

The anti-government armed militant groups including the Taliban insurgents have not commented regarding the report so far.

Jawzjan is among the relatively volatile provinces in the North where the anti-government armed militant groups including the Taliban insurgents are actively operating in some of its districts.

Militants affiliated with the Islamic State terror group are also active in some parts of Jawjzan province where often reports of armed clashes and coordinated attacks are emerging from.

A United Nations report has revealed that Al-Qaeda in Indian Sub-continent (AQIS) recruits personnel from remote areas of India and Bangladesh, like reported by wionews.com.

According to the report, close to 180 operatives of the group work as Taliban advisers and trainers in southern and eastern Afghanistan.

UN monitoring committee’s 21st report of the ISIL (Daesh) and Al-Qaeda/Taliban Monitoring Team also states that Al-Qaeda continues to cooperate with the Taliban in return for sanctuary and operating space.

The report, dated January 26, was made public last week and assumes Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri to be in the Afghan-Pak border region.

According to the report, fighters from various Al-Qaeda affiliated groups in Afghanistan could number as many as 60,000.

The number of foreign fighters currently operating in Afghanistan is estimated to be between 10,000 and 15,000.

Currently, there are more than 20 groups active in the war-torn country. The Taliban remains the largest, with about 40,000 to 45,000 fighters, others would include fighters from groups like ISIL and a range of Al-Qaeda affiliated entities such as TTP, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), Lashkar-i-Jhangvi (LJ), Lashkar-e-Islam (LeI), Jundullah, the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), and Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan or IMU.

ISIL commands between 1,000 and 4,000 fighters in Afghanistan including former members of the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and IMU, fighters from outside the immediate region, as well as Afghan Taliban defectors.

ISIL continues to resist and storm attacks, especially in Kabul, despite facing a clamp-down by Afghan and international military operations. While the group is in violent competition with the Taliban in some regions, in others there appears to be some mutual accommodation, the report stated.

Foreign Islamic State fighters forced out of Syria and Iraq have been arriving in the Philippines with the intent of recruiting, and they have plans to attack two Philippine towns, the head of the country’s largest Muslim rebel group said on Tuesday, like reported by theregion.org.

More than 1,100 people were killed last year when pro-Islamic State militants attacked and held the Philippine city of Marawi for five months, leading to massive destruction across the scenic lakeside town.

That could happen in other cities if Congress fails to pass a law to allow Muslims in the southern Philippines to run their own affairs, according to Ebrahim Murad, leader of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, a separatist group which signed a peace deal with the government in return for greater autonomy.

“Based on our own intelligence information, foreign fighters who were displaced from the Middle East continued to enter into our porous borders and may be planning to take two southern cities – Iligan and Cotabato,” Murad said.

The two cities are 38 km (24 miles) and 265 km (165 miles) respectively from Marawi.

Murad said fighters from Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Middle East were known to have entered the Philippines, including a Middle Eastern man holding a Canadian passport.

That man went to a stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf militant group, notorious for kidnapping and piracy, Murad said.

Murad said militants had been recruiting fighters in remote Muslim communities, exploiting delays in the passage of legislation aimed at addressing long-standing Muslim grievances, the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

“These extremists are going into madrasas, teaching young Muslims their own version of the Koran, and some enter local universities to influence students, planting the seeds of hatred and violence,” he said.

Such a scenario would be a major headache for the military, which is fighting on multiple fronts on the southern island of Mindanao to defeat home-grown Islamic State loyalists, bandits and communist insurgents.

Mindanao is under martial law.

The military has said remnants of the militant alliance that occupied Marawi were trying to regroup and were using cash and gold looted from Marawi to recruit.

Murad’s statement echoed those of President Rodrigo Duterte, who last month urged lawmakers to pass the BBL, or face re-igniting war with the Muslim rebel group after two decades of peace.

“We cannot decisively win the war against extremism if we cannot win the peace in the halls of Congress,” Murad said.

A total of 28 Taliban militants have been killed in an operation in the restive province of Helmand, China’s Xinhua news agency quoted the Afghan Defence Ministry as saying.

“The 28 Taliban militants were killed in air strikes on Dishu, Garmser, Marja, and Musa Qala districts of Helmand province,” the ministry tweeted.

Four heroin factories and a Taliban control and command centre were also destroyed.

The southern province of Helmand is notorious for poppy growing and known as a Taliban stronghold.

The Taliban has been waging an insurgency of more than 16 years in Afghanistan.

Philippine police say authorities have arrested an Arab man who they believe is a former commander of the Islamic State group, like reported by foxnews.com.

Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa said Monday that police and military personnel arrested Fehmi Lassoued, an Egyptian who also uses the name John Rasheed Lassoned, and his Filipina companion, Anabel Moncera Salipada, in a Manila apartment last week based on intelligence provided by foreign counterparts.

Dela Rosa said bomb-making materials, firearms and ammunition were seized during the arrest.

He said investigators were looking into possible links of Salipada and Lassoued, who has a fake Tunisian passport, to local and foreign militant groups, and whether they were involved in any terrorist plot.

The bodies of nine civilians kidnapped by Islamic State (Daesh) militants have been found in eastern Nangarhar province, an official said on Monday, like reported by pajhwok.com.

The victims were among a dozen tribal leaders abducted in the Seh Paye area of Kot district nearly 18 months, the governor’s spokesman told Pajhwok Afghan News.

Attaullah Khogyani said nine of them were killed and buried in a mass grave in the Mamond Dara locality of Achin district. The men were laid to rest in Kot today.

Meanwhile, an Achin-based official said the men had been killed by Daesh insurgents three months after they were abducted. Security forces found the bodies during an operation in the area.