Daesh-Inspired Terrorism Continues to Pose Threat: Indian NSA

Since 2019, India's top counter-terrorism task force the National Investigation Agency has arrested a dozen people suspected of having links to Daesh*.

India's National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval warned that terrorism emanating from neighboring countries, alongside Daesh-inspired attacks, continues to be a grave threat on Tuesday.

Doval shared his views on the twin threats at a conference organized to highlight the importance of Muslim scholars (Ulemas) in fostering inter-faith harmony in India & Indonesia, underlining that Indian and Indonesian Ulema can learn from each others' experience to promote tolerance and peaceful co-existence of faiths in their respective countries.

"As you all are aware, both our countries have been victims of terrorism and separatism. While we have overcome the challenges to a considerable extent, the phenomenon of cross-border and ISIS (Daesh)-inspired terrorism continues to pose a threat," Doval said at the event.

Cooperation with civil society is essential in countering threats posed by Daesh-inspired individual terror cells and returnees from combat theaters like Syria and Afghanistan, he added.

At the same time, Duval noted that, "Extremism and terrorism are against the very meaning of Islam because Islam means peace and well-being."

India and Indonesia have two of the largest Muslim populations in the world.

As per a report by World Population Review, Indonesia ranks top of the list with more than 229 million Muslims.

With an estimated population of around 195 million in 2022, India is believed to have the third-highest population of Muslims behind Pakistan in second position with over 200 million Muslims.

Duval's remarks, however, came at a time when sectarian violence is on the up in India.

Since April this year, separate Hindu and Muslim groups have clashed on the streets across India, including in the states of Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Rajasthan. While stones were pelted on religious processions of Hindus on the festivals of Ram Navami, and Hanuman Jayanti, Muslims saw their festivities being disrupted on Eid.

*Daesh (IS/ISIS/ISIL) is a terrorist organization banned in Russia.