Al-Qaida still poses severe security threat to world

Unlike the popular belief that the al-Qaida would be phased out in a post-Bin Laden era, the terror group started to regain strength in 2014 and still poses a severe security threat to the world.

After the horrendous Paris attacks, which claimed 17 lives and prompted a global uproar against terrorism, Andrew Parker, head of the British intelligence agency MI5, said in a rare public speech that the al-Qaida operatives are still trying to mount large-scale attacks.

Since Osama Bin Laden was killed by U.S. forces in May 2011, the leadership of the terror group has been continuously weakened. However, the group has taken advantage of a much lenient environment at a time when the rapidly rising IS becomes the prime target of world counter-terror efforts.

In 2014, al-Qaida established a new affiliate in South Asia and added India, Myanmar and Bangladesh to its "activity zone." So far, the terror group has branches in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia.

Analysis by U.S. intelligence agencies notes that the al-Qaida has also linked extremist groups in Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, the Philippines, among others, and formed a global terror network.

Moreover, the group now recruits an increasing number of foreign fighters. According to media reports citing sources close to the group, there were thousands of "Jihadists" from 74 countries under the command of the group's Middle East branch alone.

These Jihadists return to their home countries after being trained on how to launch attacks. They act to stage massive bloodshed at landmarks or bustling business areas in major cities upon orders from the al-Qaida.

Compared with the IS, which mainly targets local governments, the al-Qaida much favors "hitting the enemy from afar."

Observers believe this distinction makes the al-Qaida a more dangerous force of terror for the international community. Endi