Once a feared global terror network, al-Qaeda’s South Asian branch has been pushed into hiding along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, its strength eroded by relentless counterterrorism operations and the killing of top leaders.
The UN warns that to survive, al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) has latched onto Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), even providing suicide bombers, fighters, and commanders for attacks in Pakistan. Reports confirm al-Qaeda handed over vehicles, fighters, and even merged offshoot groups into TTP, highlighting its desperate bid to remain relevant.
Experts say the death of Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul and the arrest of senior operatives like Aminul Haq have crippled the group. While AQIS hides under the banners of regional outfits, the UN concludes its power today is nothing more than a “shadow of its former self.”
Analysts add that this dependency exposes a steep decline in al-Qaeda’s once-independent terror brand, leaving it reduced to a mere auxiliary force for the Pakistani Taliban rather than a global orchestrator of jihad.
