KOCHI: A series of audio clips from Malayali IS cadre located in Syria and Afghanistan have given a new dimension to investigations into IS activities in the state. For the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has confirmed the IS wanted its cadre to stay back in their respective native locations, including Kerala, and engage in covert operations.
The NIA has started analysing the audio clips collected from the Telegram group ‘Light of Kerala’. Last week, during the trial of the case related to the migration of persons from Kasargod to Afghanistan at the NIA Court in Kochi, the NIA played 42 audio clips before the witnesses, including family members of Abdul Rashid, who identified the voices.
“In recent audio clips, the group members are asking to fight non-believers staying in their native places,” an NIA officer said. “In a few audio clips, they were seeking financial aid for carrying out jihad. It may be due to loss of territory in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, the IS cadre are opting for a change in their operational mode which include lone wolf attacks.”
Earlier, IS handlers demanded followers to perform Hijra (migration to IS territory), he said.
“Now, it seems migration is not insisted upon,” the officer said. “As part of the investigation in the case relating to the migration of 23 persons to Afghanistan, we recovered 48 audio clips from Telegram groups used by these persons. Initially, those who left for Afghanistan were demanding other group members to join them in Afghanistan to live under the caliphate.”