Global terror financing watchdog, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), has said that e-commerce platforms have been used in the procurement of materials for a terrorist attack in India. This was revealed in the terrorist attack in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir and the Gorakhnath Temple in Uttar Pradesh. FATF in a report on a Comprehensive update on terrorist financing risks said that digital platforms such as social media, messaging applications and crowdfunding sites are increasingly being abused for terror financing. Several forms of support have been reported, including direct financial support, logistical and material support, or the provision of training.
In the Pulwama attack in 2019, a suicide bombing targeted a convoy of Indian Security forces, resulting in the deaths of forty soldiers. India’s authorities concluded that the attack was orchestrated by Jaish-e-Mohammed. The investigations revealed the cross-border movement of a large quantity of explosives into India, and a key component of the explosive device used in the attack was procured through the e-commerce platform.
In June this year, the Financial Action Task Force condemned the Pahalgam terror attack, saying the attack could not have occurred without financial backing. The Global watchdog said that the Pahalgam attack and other recent attacks could not have happened without money and the means to move funds between terrorist supporters.
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