Taliban takeover: Indian agencies expect more aggressive strategy by Pak terror groups in J&K

New Delhi, Sep 07: Russian Ambassador, Nikolay Kudashev said in the backdrop of the Taliban takeover that terrorism emanating from Afghanistan could spread to Russian territory or Kashmir.

Speaking to reporters during an interaction at the Russian embassy, he said that as far as the phenomenon of terror is concerned, India and Russia share concerns. There is a danger of terror being spread to the Russian territory or to Kashmir, he also said.

In Kashmir there has been talk stating that the Taliban are coming.

Security agencies have been raising concerns over the developments in Afghanistan. The Jaish-e-Mohammad and the Lashkar-e-Tayiba are close to the Taliban. They have watched each other's back for long. Indian agencies say that the Taliban is likely to provide a safe haven for these terror groups and they could launch future attacks in India from Kabul.

In this context one must also look at the role the ISI has been playing in Afghanistan. The last province to fall to the Taliban was Panjshir and reports had indicated that Pakistan had helped the Taliban in this battle as well. Drones were used to drop off bombs at the Panjshir Valley and this in turned helped the Taliban win here.

It is not just the Lashkar-e-Tayiba or JeM which pose a concern for India. There is the Al-Qaeda in the Sub-Continent too which is close to the Taliban. The AQIS has its bases in several parts of India including Kerala and Kashmir and the Taliban may end up backing this outfit as well. It is true that the AQIS has not got the desired traction it would have hoped for. But the Indian agencies are keeping a very close watch especially in the wake of the Taliban victory.

The AQIS in the recent past has shifted its entire focus on India. It even changed the name of its magazine from Nawai Afghan Jihad to Nawai Ghazwat-ul-Hind.

While several terrorists have been gunned down in Jammu and Kashmir, the Intelligence agencies are witnessing enhanced activity along the border areas since July. There are a considerable number of terror launchpads that have come up in Baramulla and Bandipore, a report in the Times of India said..

There are many in waiting and they will try and strike, the moment the ISI gives them the go ahead.

Sources tell OneIndia that another area of concern is that the Taliban may provide groups like the Lashkar-e-Tayiba or JeM launchpads. This would provide Pakistan the deniability of attacks being launched from its soil. This is crucial for Islamabad as it tries to get itself out of the Grey List by the Financial Action Task Force. Security agencies have also flagged concerns about the Taliban helping the ISI launch Afghans into Jammu and Kashmir. There is already talk that many Afghans are in the waiting and would be launched into the Valley in the days to come.