Cyber Group Loyal to Al-Qaeda Announces ‘Cyber Jihad’ Targeting Governments Worldwide

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Cyber Group Loyal To Al-Qaeda Announces ‘Cyber Jihad’ Against U.S., Israeli, Pakistani, Indian, Arab Governments, As Part Of ‘Iranian-American‘ And ‘Afghanistan-Pakistan’ Wars

A report published by the MEMRI Cyber & Jihad Lab (CJL) highlighted an announcement by a cyber group loyal to Al-Qaeda of “cyber jihad” against the U.S., Israeli, Pakistani, Indian, and Arab governments.

The same group had earlier, in September 2025, announced the launch of a coordinated cyber offensive.

The CJL monitors, tracks, translates, researches, and analyzes cyber jihad originating from the Middle East, Iran, South Asia, and North and West Africa. It innovates and experiments with possible solutions for stopping cyber jihad, advancing legislation and initiatives federally – including with Capitol Hill and attorneys-general – and on the state level, to draft and enforce measures that will serve as precedents for further action. 

Below is research from the MEMRI CJL on the cyber group’s announcements:

On March 9, 2026, in response to a March 6 request by a user on an Al-Qaeda-operated encrypted platform, another user shared a March 4 statement by the Cyber Jihad Movement (CJM). This English-language statement called on Muslims to join CJM’s “cyber jihad” as part of the ongoing conflicts between the U.S., Israel, and Iran and between Pakistan and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Afghan Taliban).

In the statement, CJM called on “believing men and women” to join its ranks, exhorting them to engage in “global Cyber Jihad” against the “American, Israeli, Pakistani, Indian, and Arab governments,” with the goal of inflicting “financial loss and cyber disruptions” against these countries’ governments and financial institutions.

Stating that it was joining the “Iranian-American war” and the “Afghanistan-Pakistan war,” the CJM declared its intention to assist the mujahideen of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Afghan Taliban by launching “major-scale cyber offensives” against their enemies, and to “[join] pro-Iranian hacker movements and groups in their fight against the United States and Israel.”

Earlier, on September 17, 2025, the CJM had announced its launch of a coordinated cyber offensive aimed at its perceived adversaries. The announcement highlighted the group’s intent to expose identities, disrupt operations, and maintain pressure in the digital realm.

In the announcement, CJM stated that the upcoming operations involve “calculated and systematic” cyberattacks designed to “confuse adversaries and sustain confrontation in the virtual domain.” It framed these efforts as part of broader “ongoing pressure in cyberspace” to target activities CJM deems “hostile.” However, it did not name any specific targets or methods.

Prior to that, in August 2025, a Yemeni Al-Qaeda supporter claiming to be an “independent researcher” of jihadi groups had reported that the CJM had pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda after about a year of activity in pro-Palestinian hacktivism campaigns. At that time, the cyber group indicated that it was pivoting away from targeting India to focus on damaging U.S. interests.

Al-Qaeda has not publicly acknowledged acceptance of CJM’s allegiance.