The key to victory in Jammu and Kashmir lies in waging war on Indian cities, a senior al-Qaeda commander has said in a video that was released on online jihadist forums on Tuesday night.

“India is already using 600,000 troops just to hold on to Kashmir,” Usama Mahmoud, the group’s second-in-command in the Indian subcontinent, claimed. “If it is attacked in Kolkata, Bangalore and New Delhi, it will come to its senses and release its grip on Kashmir.”

Mahmoud said it was necessary for “the jihadi movement” to strengthen in the region. Muslims in the whole region should stand behind the Kashmiri people, he added. “Look at America,” he said. “In the same way securing itself has become difficult for America throughout the world, the Indian Army and Hindu government’s peaceful world should be made a war zone.”

On Monday, a new organisation that calls itself al-Qaraar released another video pledging its alliance to the Islamic State group and its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The video featured an armed militant, who identified himself as Abu-ul-Braa Kashmiri, urging Zakir Musa, the leader of an al-Qaeda affiliate, to join the Islamic State group.

The Islamic State group and the al-Qaeda are competing hard to promote their propaganda in the country, an analysis of their messages posted on social media platforms suggest, The Hindu had earlier reported. The security establishment is particularly concerned with the al-Qaraa, which has been posting Kashmir-centric messages, an unidentified senior officer told The Hindu.