Two years ago, on April 21, 2019, eight suicide bombers affiliated with the Islamic State (IS)-linked local jihadist groups National Towheed Jamaat (NTJ) and Jammiyat-ul Millathu Ibrahim (JMI) carried out deadly terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka, targeting luxury hotels and Catholic churches.Two years after this violence, the clamour for decisive action has risen across Sri Lanka.

Prime Minister Modi stressed ‘the importance of enhancing indigenisation in the national security system, not just in sourcing equipment and weapons but also in the doctrines, procedures and customs practiced in the armed forces. 

This issue brief examines the MoD’s latest allocations along with the recommendation of the 15th Finance Commission which was specifically tasked to find a solution to the perennial shortage of funds for India’s defence and security modernisation.

The paper aims to evaluate the violent sectarian campaigns of Islamic State-Khorasan province and the group’s capacity to withstand leadership loss and armed offensives in Afghanistan Jihadi landscape.