India, Pakistan in new round of accusations

Nahla Abdelmonem

Indian authorities have foiled a plan for carrying out terrorist attacks in different parts of India, after arresting on September 19 nine extremists with affiliations to al-Qaeda.

The extremists planned to stage attacks in a number of places, including inside a crowded hall, in their bid to kill the largest number of people, Deutsche Welle quoted some Indian government officials as saying.

The Indian intelligence said, meanwhile, that the members of the cell who were arrested recently had contacts with some organizations and agencies outside India.

They most probably had links with al-Qaeda in Pakistan, it said.

Indian authorities found books on the making of explosives in the hideout of the terrorists, along with others on the use of firearms. There were also books containing radical edicts.

Indian authorities accuse Pakistan of sponsoring the cell with the aim of destabilizing India.

Border dispute

India accused Pakistan of encouraging extremists to cross into its own border with the aim of staging attacks in different parts of India. It also said that Pakistan sponsors these terrorists ideologically and logistically through social media sites.

These accusations are closely linked to border disputes between India and Pakistan. The two countries are locked in a dispute over the Kashmir region.

This dispute formed a fertile soil for terrorist organizations to take root and grow in the region. This also gave the chance for violence to spread in it.

The al-Qaeda branch in Kashmir is one of the most outstanding branches of the terrorist organization that still receive support.

Al-Qaeda is also keen on supporting its members in the region, capitalizing on the dispute between India and Pakistan.

In May 2020, the organization issued a statement in which it claimed that a visit to New Delhi by U.S. President Donald Trump would give India the green light to persecute Muslims.