Pakistan's ISI could help al-Qaida get foothold in India

NEW DELHI: ISI may play a key role in executing al-Qaida's plans in India. The terror outfit's Indian subcontinent wing, AQIS, doesn't have much of a footing in India yet and will either have to seek support from Lashkare-Taiba (LeT) or Indian Mujahideen (IM) , sources said.

The Pakistani agency will have no problem in helping Qaida at present as it can easily disassociate itself from any strike the organisation carries out, a highly placed source told TOI.

Intelligence sources also say that post Islamic State(IS) slamming AQIS, the latter will not get support from Af-Pak based ISally Ansar-ul-Tawhid Fi Bilad Al Hind (AuT) or Simi as the latter has lost most of its men and has few active members in India. However, IM will lend support to AQIS as several of its members had defected to AuT in order to join IS and fight in Syria. LeT, which has been rebuked by IS, will also want to support AQIS.