Pakistan-India Confrontations May Escalate on LoC, Says US Intel, Warns of ‘Big Militant Attack’ in India

The report also predicted that ties between India and China would remain strained after the 2020 Galwan clash. Noting the military posturing by both the countries along the border, the report warned about the elevated risk of armed confrontation that “might involve direct threats to US persons and interests, and calls for US intervention”.

Among other possible flashpoints, the Intel community pointed to the threat to the United States from Islamic State Central (Iraq & Syria), saying though it has weakened, it remains a point of concern. “Particularly, the Khorasan branch (ISKP) has the intention to strike the West and outside of Afghanistan, where it continues to challenge the Taliban’s rule,” the report said.

It also claimed that al-Qaeda is adapting to the Taliban’s rule in Afganistan after the death of Zawahiri while keeping a safe haven in Iran. Major threats for the US and the West come from Al-Qaeda affiliates in Yemen and East/West Africa, it added. (Agencies)