Twitter
Advertisement

Slain ISIS operative indoctrinated, recruited 5 Hyderabad men

NIA identifies IS operatives Abu Isa al Amriki and an Indian national key in inspiring the Hyderabad module

Latest News
article-main
Islamic State
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

A key Islamic State planner from its External Operations division, known by his alias Abu Isa al Amriki has been identified by the National Investigation Agency as one of the main handlers to indoctrinate and recruit five Hyderabad men who conspired to form an IS inspired module. This is the first time NIA has identified overseas handlers in its investigation establishing a link that the Hyderabad module was set upon the instruction of the dreaded terrorist organisation Islamic State.

Amriki, believed to be an American citizen was a Sudanese national also known as Abu Saad al Sudani, killed in an airstrike by US coalition forces on April 22, this year along with his wife Umm Isa al Amriki, an Australian national Shadi Jabar in Al-Bab in Syria. The couple were actively recruiting foreign fighters for the IS on social media and were involved in planning attacks against the US, Canada and UK, according to a statement by Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook. 

Pentagon has also confirmed Amriki’s role as a planner in the IS’s external operations division, headed by  Abu Mohammad al-Adnani. A senior and influential commander, Adnani was the mastermind behind deadly attacks in France, US, Belgium and Turkey.  

Amriki will be named in the chargesheet on the Hyderabad module to be filed this month, as one of the handlers from the IS directed to recruit from India, senior NIA officials told DNA. The NIA in June, arrested five men Ibrahim and Ilyas Yazdani, Habib Mohammad, Mohammad Irfan and Abdullah Bin Ahmad along with explosives and weapons allegedly for carrying terror attacks in the name of IS. In its six-month investigation, NIA officials said they have been able to conclude that the five men were recruited and directed by leaders of IS based in Syria. 

"Forensic investigation on chat messages, emails, online communication and interrogation of the five suspect has revealed that they received instructions from IS operatives. Based on the IP address, the language in chat messages, conversations and accent we have established the role of Abu Isa al Amriki as one of the handlers. There is also a second handler based in Syria, who seems to be of Indian origin,’’ the senior NIA officer said. Amriki is charged as a conspirator in the New York New Year's eve attack in 2015, wherein accused Emanuel L Lutchman, an American citizen from Rochester, New York pleaded guilty of planning to carry terrorist attack in the name of IS. 

The NIA officer said the modus operandi followed by Amriki in recruiting Lutchman and the Hyderabad men online was strikingly similar. Electrical Engineer by profession, Hyderabad citizen Ibrahim Yazdani was working in Saudi Arabia from 2012-2015 when he came in contact with a Jordanian national Suhaib-al-Aboudi who inspired him towards IS ideology. Aboudi died in Syria fighting with IS. Ibrahim too decided to make a hijrah (migration) to Syria with his family to the Caliphate established in Iraq and Syria. He came in contact with Amriki on social media around February 2015, few months before he returned back home to India in July. 

Amriki introduced himself as an IS member based in Syria and encouraged Ibrahim to travel to the Caliphate and join the IS. Ibrahim heeded to Amriki’s advice and applied for a visa to Greece-- to divert suspicion by travelling to Turkey directly--and decided to take the route followed by refugees to reach Turkey. His visa was rejected twice by the Greek embassy. Later Ibrahim attempted to reach Turkey disguised as a student and even enrolled in a university for post graduation course. He dropped the plan as it was logistically expensive. 

After the two failed attempts to travel to Syria, Ibrahim’s spirit to serve in the path of Allah, were revived when he came in contact with a second handler in November, an Urdu speaking IS fighter whose leads were given by Amriki. This second handler, convinced Ibrahim that there was no need to travel to Syria and he should stay in India and continue to do his work (jihad) from where he was. ``He said there lot of things that need to be done in India and gave them step by step instructions on what to do next,’’ the official added. This included recruiting more members, setting up a module, procuring explosives and carrying terror attacks. 

The five suspects also issued a bayah (pledge of allegiance) in the name of IS leader Abu Bakar al Baghdadi signed and sent through email to the second handler. The bayah would be made public by the IS, if an attack planned by the suspects would be successful. Ibrahim has told investigators, that he was informed by the handler to use an explosive called Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP) to make the attacks. In the Brussels and Paris attack claimed by the IS’s external operations division, TATP was the primary substance used bombs and suicide belts. 

NIA suspects that the second handler of Indian origin is still active online and is operating and responding from IS-controlled areas, possibly Aleppo or Raqqa. 

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement