Topic summary
Al-Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent

Al-Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent (Arabic: جماعة قاعدة الجهاد في شبه القارة الهندية, romanized: Jamā‘at Qā‘idat al-Jihād fī Shibh al-Qārrah al-Hindīyah, lit.'Group of the Base of Jihad in the Indian subcontinent') usually abbreviated as AQIS, is a branch of the pan-Islamist militant organization al-Qaeda. After announcing the establishment of AQIS on 3 September 2014, Ayman al-Zawahiri declared that the branch's stated objectives involved fighting the governments of India, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
The formation of the group was part of al-Qaeda's efforts to capitalise on Pakistani military's policy of tolerance to anti-Indian insurgent groups, as well as to counter the expansion of the Islamic State militant group in the subcontinent. AQIS stated in 2014 that it views Pakistan as a "doorstep" to expand its war against India. The militant group has also stated its intentions to attack American targets in the Indian subcontinent. This group is listed as a terrorist organization by the United Nations, United States, Canada, India and Pakistan.