Al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent releases audio speech warning fighters against harming innocent Muslims

NEW DELHI: Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent ( AQIS) has released an audio speech from its leader Asim Umar, cautioning fighters against harming innocent Muslims and “severing” connection with the people.

Umar is from Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh. His original name is Sanaul Haq. Delhi police had busted the Sambhal module last year when they arrested half-a-dozen suspects for their allegiance to AQIS.

Umar’s Urdu-language speech, entitled ‘Without Shariah, War is Mere Strife’, is a ‘26-minute, 31-second’ video (with Arabic and English subtitles) and has been produced by Sahab Media Foundation. The Arabic version with an accompanying Arabic transcript and Bengali translation was released on May 31 and the English version on June 1.

AQIS has also released an audio speech from its spokesman Usama Mahmoud, condemning the January 2016 attack at Bacha Khan University in Charsadda and the December 2015 bombing at the National Database and Registration Authority office in Mardan, both in Pakistan.

In his speech, Umar argued targeting innocent Muslims as well women and children of the enemy contradicts Shariah, and will prevent the fighter who perpetrates such an act from attaining the rewards of jihad. The AQIS leader explained that scenes of bloody corpses of women and children can psychologically impact a person.