Abstract:
The transformation of terrorism from Al-Qaeda to the
Islamic State (IS) has created new security challenges.
This article examines the threats posed by these two
groups by discussing their ideologies, structures and
capabilities. Unlike local terrorist groups like the Afghan
Taliban, the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda pose a global
threat. While assessing the prospects of the IS in
Afghanistan, the article also briefly looks at the Afghan
Taliban. The IS which was initially fighting the „near
enemy‟- the Iraqi and Syrian regimes, has now changed its
strategy by equally focusing on the „far enemy‟ as well,
manifested in its high profile attacks in Europe and other
places beyond the Middle East. The authors recommend
that a comprehensive global strategy is required to
eradicate this growing menace of organised terrorism.
