Sapped of its strength, al-Qaeda hides behind regional terror groups

ISLAMABAD -- Al-Qaeda's once-powerful South Asian branch has been forced into hiding in the rugged Afghanistan-Pakistan borderlands, following relentless international pressure on the group and the elimination of its key leaders.

In order to survive, al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) has enhanced its collaboration with other groups to "expand its presence in neighboring countries," according to a February United Nations (UN) report.

Foremost among them is Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), according to the UN Security Council's analytical support and sanctions monitoring team.

Both al-Qaeda and TTP have conducted attacks under the banner of Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan (TJP), the team said.

There has been "greater facilitation among these groups and TTP in terms of the provision of suicide bombers, fighters and ideological guidance," it added.

AQIS's collaboration with regional terror groups has deepened over time.

With the consent of senior al-Qaeda leaders, AQIS selected about 15 commanders to assist TTP with attacks in Pakistan and later supplied fighters during TTP's September 2023 attack in Chitral, a previous UN report said.

In July 2023, fearing US targeting, al-Qaeda ordered all vehicles used by the group to be gifted to TTP, the report added.

Several al-Qaeda-linked Pakistani terror groups also have merged with TTP in recent years, notably Amjad Farooqi group and the Ustad Ahmad Farooq group.

Failed strategy

"The killing of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Afghanistan dealt a major blow to the organization and terrorism, not only globally but also in Pakistan and Afghanistan," said Peshawar-based security official Muhammad Sohail.

Al-Zawahiri, believed to have masterminded high-profile attacks, was killed by a US drone strike at a Kabul "safe house" in August 2022. He had taken over al-Qaeda after US special forces killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan in 2011.

Under al-Zawahiri's leadership, al-Qaeda decentralized, forming regional franchises worldwide, including AQIS in 2014.

While AQIS was designed to operate across South Asia and Afghanistan, sustained military operations and intelligence-driven actions have significantly weakened its capabilities, security experts told Salaam Times.

In 2024, Pakistan's counterterrorism department arrested senior al-Qaeda leader Aminul Haq, who was a close associate of bin Laden and is listed as a global terrorist by the UN.

In late 2022, the United States designated three AQIS leaders as terrorists, including its chief, Osama Mehmood, along with one TTP leader.

"It is al-Qaeda's strategy to sustain its influence in the region while avoiding national and international counterterrorism operations," Sohail said.

Though it conceals its presence behind regional terror groups, however, the February UN report concludes al-Qaeda's status and strength has "remained unchanged" -- a shadow of its former self.