India issued a security alert in several states on Thursday after al Qaeda made an announcement that it will be launching a new branch of the terrorist group dedicated to waging jihad in the Indian subcontinent, Reuters reported. The videotape is believed to be the first released by al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri in more than a year.
In the 55-minute long online video, al-Zawahiri said the purpose is to "wage jihad against its enemies, to liberate its land, to restore its sovereignty, and to revive its Caliphate." The message was regarded as authentic, said an official who attended a security briefing with Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who is responsible for policing and internal security.
"This matter has been taken very seriously," the official told Reuters. "An alert has been sounded."
The new organization, translated as Organization of The Base of Jihad in the Indian Sub-Continent, also released online manifestos written by al-Zawahiri, spokesman Usama Mahmoud and organizational chief Essam Omar, USA Today reported. The group's leaders are believed to be Pakistani nationals serving with al Qaeda's command in that country, The Indian Express reported.
"Our brothers in Burma, Kashmir, Islamabad, Bangladesh, we did not forget you and will liberate you from injustice and oppression," he said, calling Indians to "break all borders created by Britain in India, unite under the credo of the one god," according to a translation from Express.
In the wake of the video's release, at least three states with large Muslim populations have been put on alert, local TV stations reported. However, no indication has been made of an increased security presence.
While his comments raised concerns in India, the timing and content of al-Zawahiri's message seemed largely directed at his own rivals in the international jihad movement, with some analysts deeming al Qaeda's announcement as an indication that it's struggling for followers since Islamic State fighters have captured wide swaths of Syria and Iraq and recently executed two American journalists, CNN reported.
Al Qaeda "is struggling for its legitimacy in the eyes of the radicalized Muslim world," said Ajai Sahni, a top Indian security analyst with the New Delhi-based Institute for Conflict Management.
"Osama bin Laden has been killed, and (al Qaeda's) entire top leadership, apart from Zawahiri and a few others, one by one have been decimated by the American drone attacks," he said.
If ISIS undermines al Qaeda, "it's going to affect funding," said Ajit Singh, senior fellow at South Asia Terrorism Portal in New Delhi. The radicalized Muslims, specifically, are more likely to fund ISIS. "That's why al Qaeda is trying to increase its influence," he said.
"In the wake of this al Qaeda video, we will be on a higher alert. We will work closely with the central government to tackle any threat posed to the state," SK Nanda, the top official in Gujarat's home department, told Reuters.
Most of the world's Muslims live in Asia, with about 1 billion in Asia-Pacific and about 322 million in the Middle East and North Africa, according to the Pew Research Center.
