The United States, India, and Israel are at risk of terror attacks by the same or allied transnational terrorist organizations. Threats from Transnational Islamist terror attacks include foreign terror organizations listed by multiple countries, including the United States, India, Israel, United Kingdom, Canada, and the EU. Transnational Islamist threats further include lone-wolf attacks inspired by terror organizations, cyberattacks linked to extremist groups, and terror financing supported by private and international banks.
Among the groups that make up a major part of the threat landscape across the three countries include:
- ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K): This affiliate of the Islamic State is active in South and Central Asia and stands for a significant and expanding threat. While based in Afghanistan, ISIS-K has broadened its targets and propaganda to include the United States, Western Europe, and other regions. The group looks to recruit members globally and has inspired attacks beyond its traditional area of operation.
- Al-Qaeda: Although degraded, al-Qaeda and its affiliates, such as al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), remain a long-term concern. AQIS has brought together various militant factions and, while unable to conduct large-scale attacks in India, has targeted secular activists and engaged in propaganda.
- Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM): These Pakistan-based Sunni Islamic groups are designated as foreign terrorist organizations linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS. LeT has been associated with terrorist activities occurring in India, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
- Hezbollah: A Shia Muslim group supported by Iran, recognized as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and Israel. It has long pursued a campaign of terror and targeted primarily Israeli and Jewish individuals outside of the Middle East.
- Hamas: This Sunni Muslim group has historically received funding from Iran and other sources. Its October 2023 attack on Israel prompted heightened security measures globally. In India, a pro-Palestine rally in late 2023 featured a virtual address by a former Hamas leader, raising concerns about the conflation of pro-Palestine sentiment with pro-Hamas messaging.
- Khalistani groups include Sikh terrorists networked with one or more Islamist terror entities and are active in India, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the EU. India officially classifies Khalistani groups as a terrorist network. The United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the EU have designated certain individuals and certain Khalistani outfits as terrorist organizations. The British and Canadian intelligence reports that the Khalistani terrorist network raises funding through multinational nonprofit entities, cryptocurrency, and a diverse criminal activity, including money laundering, Fentanyl and other drug trade, human trafficking, and auto theft. Khalistani terror groups are credited for the 1984 Air India bombing in Canada that killed 329 people, the 1984 assassination of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and in recent years multiple political assassination plots, vandalism of Hindu temples, threats to Embassies and other high profile public buildings.
The U.S., India, and Israel counterintelligence cooperating in combating transnational Islamist terrorism as follows:
- U.S.-India: The two countries hold a Counterterrorism Joint Working Group and engage in a Homeland Security Dialogue to enhance security cooperation through information sharing, capacity building, and disrupting terrorist travel. They also collaborate on addressing threats posed by emerging technologies and terrorist financing, including through the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
- India-Israel: Security cooperation between India and Israel has grown significantly, particularly in defense technology. The Indian Air Force has also taken part in multinational air combat exercises in Israel.
- U.S.-Israel: The U.S. provides substantial military aid to Israel to help counter terrorism and has recently targeted Hamas financiers.
- U.S.-India-Israel tracking and reporting:
- online radicalization: Terrorist groups like the Islamic State use less regulated, encrypted platforms such as Telegram to spread propaganda, communicate privately, and coordinate attacks. Youth meet extremist content online.
- Cyber warfare: Iranian-backed groups, such as CyberAv3ngers, have targeted critical infrastructure in both the U.S. and Israel with sophisticated malware.
- Funding sources: Terrorist financing comes from both internal and external sources. Funds can originate from activities including kidnapping, money laundering, drug trade, human trafficking, or automobile theft. Funding further originates from various wealthy donors or from state sponsors of terrorism, such as Iran or Pakistan. These funds move through banks, money transmitters, and charitable fronts.
AMERICAN HINDU JEWISH CONGRESS Action Plan
- Advocate updating legal frameworks to address evolving threats such as encrypted communications, cyber radicalization, and foreign fighter travel.
- Support new measures to tighten Federal regulations on financial flows, including cryptocurrency, shell companies, and charitable fronts used to fund extremist groups.
- Advocate for expanded interagency and international counterintelligence cooperation.
- Promote local, State, and Federal education curricula that inoculate youth against extremist propaganda online.