The Islamic State (IS) group is touted to have attracted thousands of recruits to fight its jihad, but it is not that easy to be affiliated with the group it seems.
The Islamic State (IS) group is touted to have attracted thousands of recruits to fight its jihad, but it is not that easy to be affiliated with the group it seems.
Fascinated by the ideology of radical Islamic State (IS) group based on Salafi Jihadism and establishing a Caliphate in all formerly held Muslim lands, 13 men based in New Delhi and Uttar Pradesh desperately tried to reach out to its handlers on social media to set up an Indian module inspired by the group's jihadi acts. After failing to establish any contact with the group -- that has notorious presence on several social media platforms -- the young men shifted their ideology to Pakistan based Jaish e Mohammad, police has claimed.
The Delhi Special cell on Tuesday arrested three suspects Sajid Abbasi, Shakir Ansari and Samer Ahmed from Delhi, Ghaziabad and Deoband and detained 10 other youth from the same areas in a module purported to be associated with Jaish e Mohammad. Special cell commissioner, Arvind Deep, while speaking to reporters said that the group was initially inspired by IS ideology but later shifted to JeM where they got response from the Pakistani terror group's handlers. The exact details of this shift of ideology from a global jihadi entity like IS to a local JeM which limits its activities to Kashmir, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan is not known.
Sajid, the main leader of the module, came in contact with a JeM operative named Talha — believed to be an associate of leader Maulana Masood Azhar — on social media. While the identity of Talha is being ascertained, police officials claim that Sajid made calls in Pakistan and was in touch with Talha who was guiding and supporting the Delhi-UP based module. The logistical support by JeM to this module also extended to provide training in combat fighting and jihad in Pakistan.
``We know that Shakir had definitive plans to go to Pakistan for training and was in the process of getting a passport. If he had moved out of the country, it would have been difficult for us to then track him,'' Deep said. Interestingly, none of the three suspects—all belong from low income background and haven't completed primary education—hold passports.
It was on JeM's directives that the module started assembling material to make Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and carry out attacks in crowded public places including shopping malls in the Capital. Police said they have evidence in form of intercepted phone conversations and meetings between the members of the module conspiring to plan an attack.
In a raid that took place on Tuesday evening in North East Delhi's Chand Bagh area, police recovered iron pipes, black residue powder, batteries along with one live IED and a damaged IED from Sajid's house where he ran his tailoring unit. According to police Sajid was trying to assemble an IED on the night before his arrest when it exploded injuring his left hand. Sajid's family has refuted police claims and said it was an accident at home—his sister threw boiling milk--that resulted in the wounds.
Police has also recovered pen drive, books and literature along with hand written notes in Sajid's tailoring unit that is being analyzed to be presented as part of incriminating evidence against the suspects as well to link it with the member's radicalization. Among the books include Hindi and Urdu titles of books—some of which are available free online—Mujahid ki Lalkar, Duniyabhar mein Musalmanon ka Katleyam, Tarikh e Hind, Jihad ki Sabillilah and Aapka Mustakbil.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "suspects")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}