Over the years, the Islamic State or ISIS has extensively used triacetone triperoxide or TATP to launch deadly attacks. The white crystal powder is referred to as ‘Mother of Satan’ by the ISIS.
Bengaluru: The Delhi Police have unearthed several details following the arrest of a Kashmir couple linked with the Islamic State.
Not only were they brainwashing the protesters in Delhi, but had also planned on carrying out attacks and a recruitment drive. Had the couple not been nabbed, the worst would have taken place, the police say. The couple has been arrested and their identities are Jahanzaib Sami and Hina Bashir Bagh.
Mother of Satan:
Over the years, the Islamic State or ISIS has extensively used triacetone triperoxide or TATP to launch deadly attacks. The white crystal powder is referred to as ‘Mother of Satan’ by the ISIS. The various probes conducted worldwide have found that ISIS members would stockpile chemicals to make the home-made explosive triacetone triperoxide.
Delhi Police sources told MyNation that the couple was in the process of procuring triacetone triperoxide to undertake an attack. The ISIS has put out manuals on how to prepare this explosive and is readily available on several of the platforms that are being run by the terrorist outfit.
It may be recalled that the probe into the Manchester Arena bomb had led to the investigators finding a stockpile of chemicals used to make triacetone triperoxide. It was alleged that the accused had also piled up several screws and nails to maximise the carnage. They were planning on planting the bomb at various places and in several vehicles, the probe also found.
The Afghanistan link:
Investigations also revealed that the couple were linked to the Islamic State Khorasan module, operating out of Afghanistan. They were recruited by Huzaifa al-Bakistani, who headed the module. Bakistani, it may be recalled, was killed in a drone strike at Afghanistan last July.
This is in fact the same module, which has recruited scores of Muslims from Kerala. Last year, reports of nearly 21 Kerala Muslims, some of them converted, had surfaced. Some have even died in drone strikes, reports also stated. The Delhi Police said that the couple from Kashmir were directly linked to this module. They were in the process of procuring material to carry out a series of attacks in Delhi.
Instigating Muslims:
The police have also stumbled upon an article written by Sami in an ISIS-run magazine called the Sawt al Hind or the Voice of India. In the article, he calls on the Indian Muslims to overthrow democracy and take up Jihad.
He specifically speaks about the newly-amended citizenship law and says that it is time to abandon the protests and turn violent. The article was written by Sami on February 24. The Delhi Police official cited above said that the specific brief given to the couple was to infiltrate the protests, brainwash the Muslims and lure them into jihad. We have learnt that they had been to the protests at both Jamia as well Shaheen Bagh, the officer also noted.
NIA to step in:
The case in all probability will be handed over to the NIA, considering both the national and international ramifications it has. A team of the NIA would question the couple, who are currently in the custody of the Delhi Police.
The police have seized four mobile phones, a laptop, one hard disc and incriminating material from the couple’s house. They were running handles on social media specifically to instigate the Muslims, who are protesting against the citizenship law. We are currently scanning these accounts and are also trying to find out if more persons were involved with them. The couple’s family has called this as a frame up, but the police maintain that they were working on a specific brief to instigate the Indian Muslims into taking up violent jihad and also carrying out attacks in Delhi.
Last Updated Mar 10, 2020, 12:32 PM IST