Overview
Atif Yahya Ghouri is the U.S.-designated deputy emir of al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS). Given Ghouri’s role in AQIS, the U.S. Department of State designated Ghouri as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) on November 30, 2022.“Terrorist Designation of AQIS and TTP Leaders,” U.S. Department of State, December 1, 2022, https://www.state.gov/terrorist-designation-of-aqis-and-ttp-leaders.
Ghouri reportedly hails from Islamabad, Pakistan, and studied at the International Islamic University, the same school attended by former AQIS deputy emir Ustad Ahmad Farooq. It is unreported when Ghouri joined AQIS and what role he held upon his enlistment in the terror group. Following the death of Farooq in a U.S. drone strike on January 15, 2015, Ghouri was named the new deputy emir.Syed Arfeen, “Educated in extremism,” The News, July 23, 2017, https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/563692-educated-extremism.
At some point after 2015, Ghouri relocated to Afghanistan where he acts as AQIS’s operational and military commander coordinating AQIS activities in Pakistan and Afghanistan.“Pakistan court sentences five al-Qaeda terrorists to 16 years each in jail,” New Indian Express, June 26, 2020, https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2020/jun/26/pakistan-court-sentences-five-al-qaeda-terrorists-to-16-years-each-in-jail-2161801.html. On December 26, 2019, the Punjab Counter Terrorism Department and an intelligence agency launched a joint raid on an AQIS cell in Gujranwala, Punjab, Pakistan. Reportedly, the cell served under the direction of Ghouri and had planned to launch terrorist attacks in Punjab. The raid not only uncovered a large quantity of media equipment and deadly weapons, but also funds presumably used to finance AQIS operations.Asif Chaudhry, “Militant outfit’s media cell in Gujranwala busted,” Dawn, December 27, 2019, https://www.dawn.com/news/1524548.
As Ghouri continues to coordinate AQIS attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan, he was designated as an SDGT by the U.S. Department of State on November 30, 2022.“Terrorist Designation of AQIS and TTP Leaders,” U.S. Department of State, December 1, 2022, https://www.state.gov/terrorist-designation-of-aqis-and-ttp-leaders.
Associated Groups
- Extremist entity
- Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS)
- Read Threat Report
- Type(s) of Organization:
- Insurgent, non-state actor, terrorist, transnational, violent
- Ideologies and Affiliations:
- Al-Qaeda/affiliate, Islamist, jihadist, Qutbist, Salafist, Sunni, takfiri
- Position(s):
- Deputy emir
AQIS is al-Qaeda’s newest branch, founded in September 2014. Reportedly operating in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Burma, Bangladesh, and Kashmir, the group seeks to wage jihad in order to establish an Islamic state.
History
United States
The U.S. Department of State designated Atif Yahya Ghouri as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist on November 30, 2022.“Terrorist Designation of AQIS and TTP Leaders,” U.S. Department of State, December 1, 2022, https://www.state.gov/terrorist-designation-of-aqis-and-ttp-leaders.
Daily Dose
Extremists: Their Words. Their Actions.
In Their Own Words:
We reiterate once again that the brigades will directly target US bases across the region in case the US enemy commits a folly and decides to strike our resistance fighters and their camps [in Iraq].
Mar. 2023