India
Growing radicalisation among Muslim youths and the possibility of their falling prey to ISIS propaganda and resorting to undesirable activities is a cause of serious security concern, reads an Intelligence Bureau letter
New Delhi: The nation's security agencies are carrying out a massive clean-up exercise against the youth sponsored or inspired by the Islamic State (ISIS). According to the documents accessed exclusively by MyNation, the central intelligence agency, Intelligence Bureau (IB), has been tasked to provide details of such youths who can become ISIS's entry point into India.
The Maharashtra Anti-terror Squad (ATS) on Wednesday arrested nine suspects from different places in the state on the basis of intelligence inputs. It is one such example of the nationwide operation.
This is the second time in the past month when young people inspired by the ISIS have been arrested. In December 2018, the NIA had busted a module and arrested a total of 19 persons from 16 locations after two months of surveillance and investigation. Officials recovered 25 kg of explosive material such as potassium nitrate, ammonium nitrate, sulphur, and sugar material paste were seized.
Twelve pistols, 150 rounds of live ammunition and one country-made rocket launcher, 112 alarm clocks, mobile phone circuits, batteries, 51 pipes, remote-controlled detonators, wireless and digital doorbells for remote switches, steel containers, electric wires, 91 mobile phones, 134 SIM cards, 3 laptops, knife, sword and ISIS-related literature were recovered from the terror suspects. Cash worth Rs 7.5 lakh (approximately) was recovered, too.
The IB has hinted at a massive nationwide clean-up operation against the ISIS and its sympathizers hiding in different parts of the country: Delhi, Maharashtra, Kerala, Hyderabad, Uttar Pradesh, etc. The IB has said in a letter that these youths inclined to a certain religious ideology have thrown up the possibility of ISIS-sponsored terror attacks in India, which need to be dealt with by means of massive operations.
"The success of the IS in radicalising some Indian youth, attracting certain sections of the local population or the Indian diaspora to physically participate in its activities or supporting terrorist groups operating in India, have opened up the possibility of IS-sponsored terrorist action on the Indian territory," the IB letter issued after a top-level meeting in Delhi says.
"Growing radicalisation among Muslim youths and the possibility of their falling prey to jihadi propaganda and resorting to undesirable activities is a cause of serious security concern," the IB said, adding that this should be dealt with immediately to chock ISIS's entry in India.
The ATS Maharashtra conducted massive raids in Thane's Mumbra township. In Aurangabad, the raids started in the night of Sunday. On a tip-off from the central intelligence agency and local intelligence, the ATS detained four suspects from Mumbra. Five others were picked up from Aurangabad. After initial questioning, all suspects were brought to Mumbai for further investigation.
Sources have confirmed that four of these suspects were planning to attend a function sponsored by the Popular Front of India (PFI). ATS sources said that all are in the age group of 18-22.
Read Exclusive COVID-19 Coronavirus News updates, at MyNation.