Assessing the Threat of Terrorist Groups in the Indian Subcontinent in the Shadow of the Taliban Gaining Power in Afghanistan: A Case Study Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS)

Sheikh Darreh Ney, Morteza; Moein Abadi Bidgoli, Hossein; Ekhtiari Amiri, Reza

doi:10.22034/csiw.2026.734796

Assessing the Threat of Terrorist Groups in the Indian Subcontinent in the Shadow of the Taliban Gaining Power in Afghanistan: A Case Study Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Morteza Sheikh Darreh Ney ¹

Hossein Moein Abadi Bidgoli ²

Reza Ekhtiari Amiri ³

¹ Master of International Relations,University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran

² Associate Professor of Political Science, Shahid Bahonar University, Kerman

³ Associate Professor of International Relations, Mazandaran University, Babolsar, Iran

10.22034/csiw.2026.734796

Abstract

After The developments in Afghanistan in 2021 and the rise of the Taliban in this country, the creation of some events such as the presence of AQIS and key members of Al-Qaeda strategically, the Taliban protecting this group from political-military harm, and ensuring a safe haven for them, revealed the relationships between these groups. With the killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri, the second-in-command of Al-Qaeda, by the CIA in a house belonging to senior Taliban leaders on July 31, 2022, it confirmed the presence of Al-Qaeda and its satellites in Afghanistan and its close cooperation with the Taliban. The purpose of this article is to answer the main question of how the AQIS threat has been assessed in the countries of the Indian subcontinent after the Taliban became effective in Afghanistan.The research findings show that; Afghanistan under Taliban control serves as a safe haven and potential haven for AQIS militants in Bangladesh, Myanmar, and similar situations to Kashmir, India,and Pakistan as a place where they can travel to train, acquire weapons,and conduct operations in these countries. In this study, an attempt has been made to answer this question by using a descriptive-analytical method and using library and internet resources.

Keywords

Terrorism

Terrorist Groups

Indian Subcontinent

Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS)

Taliban