From detaining handlers and old operatives to controlling radicalisation, continuous disruption of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS or IS) modules has proved to be a game-changer for India’s internal security, according to top intelligence sources.
“Not only borders and external forces, internal radicalisation control is also top priority. Continuous disruption of ISIS by security forces is a game-changer. Even though ISIS is an issue across the world, India has managed to contain it," said sources.
According to intel sources, agencies have almost destroyed major networks of ISIS. “We have detained and arrested a large number of youth who were radicalised and planned to do something major. Old handlers and operatives are also rearrested. With such harsh disruption, old organisations such as Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and Indian Mujahideen (IM) had to come under one umbrella to fight back."
Investigative agencies busted several modules across the country through which the umbrella of the three terror groups was operating to plan major attacks. The Pune ISIS case brought the regrouping of the three outfits to light.
‘NACHAN’S ARREST WAS KEY, WAS RUNNING DANGEROUS SIMI-IM-ISIS COMBINE’
Terrorist Saquib Nachan’s arrest in December was important because he was not only radicalising the youth, but was also arranging various types of training for them, sources had earlier told News18. He was handling all foreign operations, funding and psyops against India, they had added.
The Supreme Court had in 1997 convicted Nachan for planning terror attacks in India in 1990 with Khalistani groups. In 2003, he was booked for blasts in Mumbai and convicted in 2016 for 10 years, which he served and was released in 2017. His son, Shamil, was also arrested in the same case.
“Nachan was running the most dangerous ISIS model and wanted to declare a separate state. He had consolidated all dead terror groups — SIMI, IM and ISIS — into one. The idea was to carry out more blasts across India, more dangerous than 26/11," they had said.
THE PADGHA, PUNE & MUMBAI EXAMPLES
The IS had been spreading its terror network in India by putting in place localised ISIS modules and cells in various states.
- PADGHA-BORIVLI LIBERATED ZONE: An example was the Padgha-Borivli model on the outskirts of Mumbai which was busted last year. The accused, operating on the directions of their foreign handlers, were making improvised explosive devices (IED) to carry out terror attacks. Initial investigations had revealed that the arrested accused had declared the village of Padgha in rural Thane a ‘liberated zone’ — ‘Al Sham’. They were motivating impressionable Muslim youth to relocate to Padgha.
- PUNE LINK TO IRAQ, SYRIA: On July 18, 2023, the Pune Police arrested two people Mohd Imran and Mohd Yunus from busy Kothrud area of Pune. The Pune case was a mix of SIMI, IM and ISIS. There were direct links between the modules in Hazaribagh, UP and Maharashtra, all going back to Nachan, said sources. “The most important part of the investigation was the role of foreign handlers sitting in Iraq or Syria. Their funding also came at different times, which is a different style of ISIS. The probe made it clear that all radicals have forgotten their differences and joined forces. They are high-grade radicals trained with IED, explosives. Among them were many who were out on bail," they said.
- RECCE OF MUMBAI TEMPLE, CHABAD HOUSE: “They had done advanced recce of very important locations of Mumbai, including Chabad House and Naval Helipad near Colaba slum area. They wanted to attack major temples in Mumbai where the footfall is high and even hydraulic projects. The data from their laptops also suggested they had researched VIP movements also with large and long conveys. This particular group was working very methodically. On the one hand, they were doing recce and on the other, they had given training to people for further work in this direction. A lot of training material was also seized."
The jihadi groups have been trying to attempt something major, they had said. “The Manglore auto blast, Chittorgarh explosive recovery, the arrest of SIMI radicals, 2016 Ratlam ISIS case and last year’s Pune case accused were all linked to this umbrella," sources had said.
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