Reports suggest spread of Al-Qaeda linked Turkish group in Nepal
01 Mar 2021 16:53:59
Kathmandu, Mar 1: An Al-Qaeda linked-charity group from Turkey has been working with Islamai Sangh Nepal (ISN), which is under the scanner of Indian Intelligence agencies for allegedly providing sanctuary to terrorists, for expanding its logistical hub for jihadist networks. According to an investigation by Nordic Monitor, the Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (IHH) has been running multiple projects in Nepal,
The projects are especially in areas close to the Indian border, mainly to broaden the support base among country's minority Muslim community and expand logistical operations in support of global jihadist networks. The main facilitator for the IHH gaining a foothold in the Himalayan country was the ISN, which has received funding directly from Turkey to finance various projects. The IHH has been named in the UN Security Council documents and was investigated for running a line of support to armed terrorist groups in Syria.
The IHH is known as a tool of the Turkish intelligence agency MIT and has been supported by the govt of Islamist President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which granted the organization special privileges for raising funds. The Islami Sangh Nepal (ISN), a Kathmandu-based organisation, came under the scanner of Indian intelligence agencies for allegedly providing sanctuary to fugitive Indian terrorists in 2018.
Reports suggest that ISN's connection to Turkey's radical Islamists is not only limited to the IHH. It was also listed as a member of an organization called the Union of NGOs of the Islamic World (Islam Dunyasi Sivil Toplum Kuruluslari Birligi, or IDSB), a front outfit for Turkish paramilitary group SADAT. According to the reports, Turkish govt's development agency TIKA is also one of the sponsors of ISN activities in Nepal.