Al Qaeda called for fighting in Bengal to 'liberate' Kashmir

The Dhaka Times Desk Al Qaeda has called for Mujahideen from Bengal to join to 'liberate' Kashmir. This call for Jihad in Kashmir was published in Al Qaeda's own media - Al Firdaus Media last Friday afternoon.

It has been said on that propaganda site, 'The liberation struggle is going on in Kashmir. Spread the message of that fight. Join that fight.'

Indian intelligence has also noticed this campaign of Al Qaeda. They cannot take it lightly. A top intelligence officer of the Indian state police said, "Al Qaeda has been trying to establish land in this state and in Bangladesh for a long time. Keeping in view the recent situation in Kashmir, they are trying to strengthen the organization by recruiting members from here."

The central intelligence is also of the opinion that there are reasons for fear in the entire country, including Bengal, around this attempt by Al Qaeda. An official involved in suppressing the Jihadi movement in Kashmir said that Ayman al-Zawahari, the current head of al-Qaeda, released a video last month through the As Sahab channel. In that video, Zawahiri threatened to launch a major attack on the Indian army and paramilitary forces in Kashmir." According to him, this is the first time that any comments of Al Qaeda chief regarding Kashmir have come out in public. That's why Indian intelligence believes that Al Qaeda has been working on Kashmir long before the Indian government abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution and scrapped the statehood of Kashmir. That plan gained momentum after the Indian government's recent decision on Kashmir.

On Friday, Al Firdaus Media also posted pictures of protests in Kashmir along with that message. It has been directed that the pictures should be circulated on social media. An intelligence officer claimed, "Al-Qaeda is trying to use this changing situation in Kashmir to incite the youth in the state and pull them into the party." Sleeper cells of Al Qaeda and some of their affiliates are active in this state." Intelligence claims that Jamaatul Mujahideen, a pro-Al Qaeda branch of Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh, banned in India and Bangladesh, is actively supporting Al Qaeda. According to media reports, several modules of the organization behind the Khagragarh blasts are still actively recruiting members in the state.