Washington: According to the `Country Reports on Terrorism 2021: India` by the US Bureau of Counterterrorism, the Government of India has made significant efforts to detect, disrupt and degrade the operations of terrorist organizations. , and degrade the operations of terrorist organizations,” read the report by the US Bureau of Counterterrorism.
As per the report, in 2021, militancy affected the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), northeastern states and parts of central India. Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Hizbul Mujahideen, ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen and Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen are terrorist groups operating in Bangladesh, India. 2021 saw a change in the strategy of terrorists. They also moved toward attacks on civilians and a greater reliance on IEDs, including an explosive attack using a drone on an Air Force base.
In October 2021 the US, India held the 18th meeting of the Counter Terrorism Joint Working Group and in November 2021 India hosted the second Quad Counter Terrorism Tabletop Exercise with Australia and Japan. According to the ‘Country Report on Terrorism 2021: India’ report, India responds promptly to US requests for information related to terrorism investigations and makes efforts to mitigate threats in response to US information.
Cooperative efforts are ongoing to disrupt terrorist travel and alerts are issued to US authorities against potential threats to the United States and US interests. In 2021, there were 153 terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, India. 274 people were killed in these attacks which included 45 security personnel, 36 civilians and 193 terrorists. Other notable attacks included an attack in Manipur on 1 November, in an ambush by the People’s Liberation Army of Manipur and the Naga People’s Front, which killed seven people, including an Indian Army officer and his wife and minor son.
However, in 2021, there was no change in India’s law related to terrorism. India expanded the number of state-level multi-agency centers to strengthen intelligence sharing between state and federal agencies. According to official reports, India implemented UNSCR 2396 by using watch lists, implementing biographical and biometric screening at ports of entry, and prioritizing information sharing.
Pursuant to a bilateral arrangement, the US and Indian governments have committed to cooperate on improving border security and information-sharing capabilities. The US government is still pending a decision on the Indian government’s proposal to cooperate on watchlisting assistance. India is implementing dual screen X-ray for cargo screening at airport locations.
In significant law enforcement actions by India, three Lashkar-e-Taiba/Harkat-ul-Jihad-e-Islami terrorists have been sentenced to ten years in prison for arms smuggling by a special National Intelligence Agency (NIA) court, eight Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen are involved. Bangladeshi terrorists were blamed for the 2012 Bodh Gaya attacks with explosives. NIA has investigated 37 cases related to ISIS till September 2021 and arrested 168 people.
India is a member of FATF, Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering and Eurasian Group. India’s Financial Intelligence Unit – India is part of the Egmont Group. As per the US report, the NIA probed nine cases of possible terror funding. The Indian Army runs schools, training courses, recruitment drives, medical camps and emergency services in Jammu and Kashmir to prevent “radicalisation”.