Brussels, April 13: Western anti-terror observers are seeing disturbing signs of terror groups like the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and others like the Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) exploiting the COVID-19 turmoil including the economic disruptions to ramp up their recruitment of jihadi foot soldiers.

Dr Siegfried Wolf, director of research at the South Asia Democratic Front, a Brussels based think-tank said, "Jihadi groups have a long tradition of exploiting crisis situations for their terrorist activities, recruitment and propaganda campaigns in South Asia, especially in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region" as thousands of youth lose their livelihood in the economic turmoil brought about by the coronavirus. Terror Groups May Use Virulent Coronavirus Strains to Launch a Bio-Terror Attack, Says UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Such youth are easy prey for the LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammad, HM and others who are offering them food and some money in these difficult times. He added, "Already facing an extraordinary challenge, like the current COVID-19 pandemic, the states and their societies are in particular vulnerable in all aspects of daily life.

Being aware of this, terrorists try to exploit these conditions to produce maximum fear and to further escalate the crisis with their violent and verbal assaults." Further, Wolf told ANI, "Jihadists in Pakistan also use the crisis to undermine the government, for example by ignoring lockdown and social distance regulations.

The fact that Pakistan's administration shows once again its total incompetence to handle a civilian crisis situation and brings out the most unfortunate features of the country's political culture and patters helps the religious fanatics to step up their efforts in spreading jihadist propaganda.

"Pakistan is home to various Islamic jihadi outfits like Lashkar-e Taiba, Haqqani Network, the Taliban, Jaish-e Mohammad and others. Taha Siddiqui, a Pakistani journalist in exile living in France said, "During this pandemic, there is also an infodemic and this is an example of that. Far right-wing groups and Islamist extremists are joining the infodemic bandwagon to achieve their evil and nefarious agendas.

"Since the outbreak of coronavirus, people globally are feeling insecure, and looking for answers or a way out, and such groups exploit these insecurities to radicalise the naive population. He told ANI, "While far right groups are spreading conspiracies about how the virus has been unleashed on purpose, Islamists are calling this a divine punishment and urging Muslims to come back to the so-called righteous path which usually entails violent behaviour."

Taha said, "Security agencies and social media networks need to work together to expose such groups and stop them. Already the world is in chaos because of the virus itself. It cannot afford further instability."

Speaking to ANI, Junaid Qureshi, the director of Amsterdam-based European Foundation for South Asian Studies said, "It is of course horrific to learn that while the world is fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic, terrorist groups are trying to exploit this turmoil and turbulent times by advancing their agenda and recruitment policies.

However, it is not surprising as terrorist groups have an embedded character of exploitation in their modus operandi." He added, "They exist because they exploit; religion, uneducated people, poor people, political instabilities in regions, caste, colour, and in this case, a global pandemic.

"The tactic of terrorist groups is exploitation followed by subsequent weaponising their so-called success of exploitation. The same is happening now as some may exploit and weaponise the pandemic, while others will exploit by weaponising those who have been tested positive or otherwise been a victim of the pandemic, whether economically, politically or socially.

Junaid said, "Currently the world is focused on how to deal with this pandemic in terms of healthcare and slowly but steadily there is also discussion on its economic impact, but what remains equally important is that counter-terrorism discourse and counter-terrorism operations should, at the same time, also evolve in this new environment."

"We cannot, and must not, expect morality in these hard times from terrorists and terrorist organisations, and as such we must ensure that these elements do not get emboldened by the fact that our attention might drop as we fight the coronavirus."

Junaid said that the world will find a medical solution to COVID-19 in the course of time. Terrorism will still be there, and the only solution is to continue keeping a hawk's eye focus on the changing dynamics of terrorist organisations and its supporters and keep adapting, in order to counter it.

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