“IS” has found footing in Sri Lanka, India: Report

• IS has re-grouped this year and carried out more activity outside of West Asia than inside it for the first time

India, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Afghanistan are among the countries where the Islamic State (IS) terror group has found a footing, as its influence has diminished drastically across its territory of origin in Iraq and Syria, the Hindustan Times reported on Friday quoting a leading conflict monitor.  

According to data released by Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED), a US-based conflict monitoring and crisis mapping body, IS has re-grouped this year and carried out more activity outside of West Asia than inside it for the first time.   

“The IS greeted its loss of territory in Iraq and Syria in 2018 with expanded global presence in 2019,” said the ACLED report titled Branching Out: Islamic State’s Continued Expansion.   
“Through the first five months this year, the IS has placed unprecedented emphasis on its global operations… In his first video in five years (after the Sri Lanka Easter bombings in April), jihadist leader Abubakr al-Baghdadi focused largely on the group’s activity in South Asia, North, West and Central Asia,” it said. 

The IS greeted its loss of territory in Iraq and Syria in 2018 with expanded global presence in 2019