Syed Asif Ibrahim was on 3 June 2015 appointed as the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Countering Terrorism and Extremism. He is a former Director of Intelligence Bureau (DIB).

In this new capacity, he will liaise with governments in West Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and South East Asia, among others, in setting up channels for the exchange of intelligence and information on terror groups.

The appointment took place in the back drop of growing concern over probable poaching of some Indian youth by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) and other militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq.

He will report to National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and work out of the National Security Council (NSC) Secretariat in New Delhi.

Syed Asif Ibrahim was a 1977 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre and retired in December 2014.

He held the position of DIB from 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2014.