The Centre has banned new offshoots of terror organisations al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, PTI reported on Thursday, citing an official order.

Al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent, or AQIS, and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham-Khorasan, an Afghanistan-based affiliate of the global jihadist group, were found to be radicalising Indian youths and encouraging terror acts on Indian interests, the ministry said in its June 19 order.

These organisations have persistently attempted to recruit India youths, The Indian Express reported.

In January, the Delhi Police filed a chargesheet in a court in the Patiala House Court complex against suspected al-Qaeda militant Zeeshan Ali for allegedly making provocative speeches to get young Indians to join the group.

The month before, Usama Mahmoud, the group’s second-in-command in the Indian subcontinent, said the key to victory in Jammu and Kashmir lay in waging war on Indian cities.