ISIS considers Indian fighters inferior to Arab jihadis

NEW DELHI: Indians joining the jihad led by the Islamic State are considered inferior fighters to those of Arab stock, getting lesser salaries and poorer weapons, often serving as vulnerable cover for more hardened jihadis and sometimes lured into becoming unsuspecting suicide bombers.

Islamic State offers bleak prospects to Indian recruits in terms of being accepted as "officer cadre" along with Pakistanis, Chinese and Nigerians who are also not seen to be sufficiently militarily inclined. The preference is for Tunisians, Iraqis, Syrian Arabs, Palestinians and Saudis, according to intelligence reports.