ISIS has declared the establishment of a province in India.

Indian security forces patrol Kashmir. Photo: AP

The self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) announced on May 10th the establishment of the "Wilayah of Hind" province in Kashmir following a "deadly clash" that inflicted casualties on Indian troops in the town of Amshipor.

Indian police confirmed on the same day that one IS fighter, Ishfaq Ahmad Sofi, was killed in the encounter.

"This was a clean operation, with no casualties in the exchange of fire," an Indian police spokesperson confirmed.

Sofi was involved with several militant groups in Kashmir for more than a decade before pledging allegiance to ISIS. He is suspected of carrying out numerous grenade attacks on security forces in the region. Military officials say Sofi may be the only remaining ISIS-linked fighter in Kashmir.

The announcement of the new province appears aimed at consolidating IS's position after the group was driven out of Iraq and Syria in April. India's Home Ministry, the agency responsible for security in Kashmir, declined to comment on IS's move.

IS has intensified its raids and suicide attacks, including the series of bombings that killed 253 people on Easter in Sri Lanka.

"Establishing a 'province' in an area they don't actually control is absurd, but it shouldn't be taken lightly," said Rita Katz, director of Intel SITE, a company that monitors Islamic extremists. "The world may not care about this development, but for the extremist jihadists in the region, it's a crucial step in laying the groundwork for rebuilding their Islamic 'empire'."

Separatist groups have resisted Indian control in Kashmir, a predominantly Muslim region, in a decades-long armed conflict. Most of these groups seek independence for Kashmir or its annexation by Pakistan, India's long-time rival. However, unlike ISIS, they do not seek to establish an "empire" within the Muslim world.