The seeming resurgence of the Pro-Islamic State jihadist unit Ansar-ut Tawheed fi Bilad Al-Hind (hereafter AuT) through its media arm, Al-Isabah Media, represents a heightened threat to India's internal security and communal harmony. Al-Isabah's recent propaganda campaigns using AI tools and social media leverage sophisticated messaging, historical narratives, and sectarian incitement to radicalize vulnerable segments of Indian society.

After a period of relative dormancy, India’s restive Kashmir region has been struck by violence again, witnessing an increase in the targeted killings of civilians. In October alone, there were 45 deaths, including 13 civilians and 12 security force personnel. With the killing of a well-known pharmacist, Makhanlal Bindroo, and street vendor, Virender Paswan, in Srinagar on October 5, militants from newly emerging factions have triggered a new cycle of violence.

When Islamic State (IS) announced an Indian-based ‘province’ (wilayah) on May 10, 2019, IS effectively consolidated previously fragmented pro-IS jihadist entities under the IS Hind (IS-H) province banner. IS aimed to increase its recruitment and operational success in embattled Kashmir, which has a long tradition of Islamist militancy. However, IS also launched a propaganda campaign to have a broader pan-Indian impact. [1]