Growth of Terrorism and role of Technology in Growth of Terrorism, Active Terror Outfits

Growth of Terrorism

• Terrorism has been growing at a fast pace in India. The reasons for its rapid growth are the same as discussed in the Chapter under the topic-“India’s Internal Security: Threats and Origin”.
• However, some other reasons for this happening are the terrorist’s strategy to have widespread targets in India, use of advanced technologies to create terror, active source of funding from drugs trade and organized crime, and rising intolerance in the Indian society.

Role of Technology in Growth of Terrorism

One of the reasons for the alarming growth of terrorism is the use of Internet and technology in the various aspects of terrorism. The followings tasks are performed using technology:

• Operational Planning and Execution: Terror groups function in small cells and are not based in a specific geographical area. Hence, for operational planning, the internet, satellite and mobile phones are being used extensively.
• Recruitment and Propaganda: Advertisement for terrorist organizations is done over the Internet. Terror handbooks, videos, and propaganda are uploaded on to the internet and social media sites for wide dissemination and publicity. It also provides channel to apply online from all over the world and get selected as member.
• Sharing Information and providing training: Terrorists also use internet chat rooms to share information and coordinate attacks. Password protected forums like Muntada al-Ansar al-Islami (Islam Supporters Forum) are used for military training and recruitment by the al Qaeda. These two websites provide direct contact between recruits and al Qaeda top leaders, and also help in distribution of ideology.
• Cyber Attacks: Terrorists also target critical infrastructure like transportation networks, banking and finance, fuel production, military complexes, etc, using malicious software. This is done to disrupt the essential services of an area and is known as the Denial of Service Attack (DoS Attack).
• Spread of terror technologies: The internet is also used for technology transfers of lethal inventions like Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). This aspect has been observed when IEDs that first appeared in Chechnya were quickly used in Iraq or Afghanistan.
• Psychological Warfare– The online videos uploaded on platforms like Facebook and YouTube reach to all the sections of society throughout the world. Groups like ISIS have uploaded certain videos containing images of ruthless murder of civilian people. Such videos have created a fear throughout the world for ISIS.
• Data Mining and Information gathering– The Internet acts as a mine for terrorists; it includes precious information that could be used by terrorist to attack specific targets. The analysis of Open Sources allows attackers to collect data on targets and allow terrorists to conduct a passive reconnaissance.
• Secured Communications– Traditional communication mediums like mobile phones, email, and so on are intercepted by the governmental agencies. Thus, modern terrorists make a large use of mobile applications for secured communication. Members of these organizations have made new software and android based apps for encrypted communication. E.g AI-Qaeda has developed the encryption software Mujahideen Secrets used to protect online and cellular communications.
• Buying False Documents– On the internet, and in particular in the cybercriminal underground, there are many black markets where it is possible to acquire any kind of illegal product and services, including fake documents. These documents are used to travel secretly across the world.

 

Active Terror Outfits

1. Pakistan Sponsored Terrorism

It can be classified into two categories:First, Pakistan based groups are directly involved in terrorist or fidayeen attacks in India (e.g. 26/11 Mumbai attack by Laskar-e-Taiba) and the second type has indirect Pakistani involvement via support to Indian fugitives (e.g.Pakistani support to India based organisation like Indian Mujahideen).Some of the organisations operating from Pakistan are as follows:

• Harkat-ul Jihad-e-lslami(HuJI)- Its origin is traced in early 1980s from the Soviet-Afghan war.It supports the accession of Jammu and Kashmir to Pakistan, as well as the propagation of Islamic rule over all parts of India.
• Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) (Army of the Pure) – The organisation was formed in 1990 in the Kunar province of Afghanistan. Like HuJi, the aim of LeT is to access Jammu and Kashmir and spread Islamic rule over all parts of India, using Jihad (a holy war against the infidels). The head of the organisation is Hafiz Mohd Sayeed. According to its ideology, it is the duty of every ‘Momin’ to protect and defend the interests of Muslims all over the world where Muslims are under the rule of non-Muslims under the democratic system. Its future interests are to conduct sensational terror attacks in the hinterland using its Sea and Air wings. Moreover, it is also involved in building infrastructure in Bangladesh to support the Rohingya Muslim issue in Myanmar. It has also shown efforts to set up bases in Sri Lanka and Maldives, expand its presence in Afghanistan. Thus it is growing to expand its reach in Asia.
• Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM): The outfit was launched in January, 2000 following the hijacking of the Indian Airlines Flight Ie 814. It has been held responsible for the December 13, 2001 terrorist attack on the Indian parliament in New Delhi. The attack on Indian consulate in Herat, Afghanistan was also the work of JeM.
• Indian Mujahideen (1M): As the world started pointing fingers towards Pakistan for sponsoring terrorism in India, Pakistan based terrorist groups encouraged formation of India based terrorist outfits to project to the world that Islamic terrorism in India is indigenous in character and content. 1M is one such example. It is involved in supply of explosives, including those suspected to be used in German Backery blast (February, 2010), Jama Masjid blast (September, 2010), Mumbai triple blasts (November, 2011), and Pune blasts (August, 2012). In a most alarming revelation it has been found that either 1M will become an assisting outfit of AI-Qaeda in India or merge with it to work under the command of Ayman-al-Zawahiri (AI-Qaeda chief), suggesting that the global jihad has started focusing increasingly on India, bringing new and more dangerous strategies, tactics and resources to this theatre. 1M is also showing trends of being pro-ISIS. It has a significant cyber presence.
• Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI): It is an Islamist fundamentalist organization, which advocates the ‘liberation of India’ by converting it to an Islamic land, by either forcefully converting everyone to Islam or by violence. It was founded in 1977 in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh after taking inspiration from ‘Iranian Revolution’ to usher in an Islamic movement in India. It completely rejects national boundaries and believes in a pan-Islamic ‘Ummah (supra-national community with a common history).It has been for following operations- Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB killing) of July, 2013, Patna blast (October, 2013), Chennai blast (May, 2014), and Pune blast (July, 2014).

 

• Jamat UI Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB): Jamat UI Mujahideen Bangladesh is a terrorist organisation based in Bangladesh founded in the year 1998. It became a concern for Indian security when its 65^th unit was established in West Bengal in the year 2006. The first instance of its terrorist act in India was the Burdwan Blast on 2^nd October, 2014. It is understood that the units of this organization plan their activities at the safe havens of India and implement them in Bangladesh.