India Sounds Alert as Isis Spreads its Territory to Afghanistan, Pakistan

The Indian intelligence agencies have sounded an alert following reports suggesting that the Islamic State (Isis) has been spreading its territory to the Afghanistan-Pakistan (AfPak) region as it poses great security threat to India.

The presence of Islamic State caliphate in Afghanistan's Farah and Nangarhar provinces is reported to be growing recently. And, as the Nangarhar province lies next to Pakistan, Indian intelligence agencies fear that if the Isis spreads across these regions, India will face a serious security threat.

"The Indian concern is that Nangarhar province sits on the mouth of the Khyber pass, which has been the route to enter into the Indus Valley and the Gangetic plains. Also, Farah province shares borders with Shia Iran. If IS manages to spread in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia, then India faces a serious security threat," Hindustan Times quoetd a senior intelligence official as saying.

The Isis has already established its presence in the AfPak region and this has been noted not just by India, but also by China and Russia.

The confirmation that the Isis entered the AfPak territory was first received when the Islamic terrorist group claimed responsibility for 18 April suicide attack, in which 15 people were killed and many others were injured.

Following that day, at least six clashes between the Isis extremists and Taliban militants have been reported in the two provinces, according to intelligence reports.

The intelligence reports also suggest that the Isis has named the AfPak region as the 'Islamic State of Khorasan' and former Pakistan Taliban commander Hafiz Saeed Khan has been appointed as its head.

In view of the recent developments, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to bring forth the issue of Isis threat to south Asia for discussion during his bilateral visits to five central Asian republics starting 6 July.

The matter will also come up for discussion at the BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summits in the second week of July. Modi is likely to discuss it with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif when they will meet for the SCO summit.