BHOPAL: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the state police’s anti-terrorism squad (ATS) have busted an alleged ISIS-linked terror module after overnight raids in Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh. The module was planning to carry out 'violent jihad' in the country.
The raids were carried out at 13 locations mostly in Jabalpur’s Omti police station area on Friday-Saturday night, leading to the arrest of three alleged ISIS sympathisers, Syed Mamoor Ali, Mohd. Adil Khan and Mohd. Shahid.
The NIA-MP ATS joint operation came two days after the country’s counter terrorism agency registered a case during a probe into the pro-ISIS activities of Mohd. Adil Khan, who came to the agency’s notice in August 2022.
The arrested trio were produced before the designated NIA court in Bhopal on Saturday. As per the prosecution counsel, the three men have been booked under Section 120B and Section 295-A of the IPC. The court has remanded them into NIA custody till June 3.
As per NIA sources, a host of sharp-edged weapons, ammunition (including prohibited bore), incriminating documents and digital devices have been seized during the searches. The primary probe suggests that Adil and his associates were involved in disseminating ISIS propaganda through social media platforms, as well as through on-ground ‘Dawah’ programmes, in order to unleash violent terror attacks in India at the instance of ISIS.
For the furtherance of their violent designs across the country, the trio were in contact with a Jabalpur-based illegal arms supplier and were trying to get pistols, IEDs and grenades.
The module had been conducting meetings in local mosques and houses and hatching plans and conspiracies to spread terror in the country. The three men were highly radicalized and engaged in collecting funds, disseminating ISIS propaganda material, motivating and recruiting youth.
Among the arrested trio, Syed Mamoor Ali had created a local group by the name of ‘Fisabilillah’ and was also operating a WhatsApp group with the same name. Along with his associates, he was trying to procure pistols.
Adil, a staunch ISIS follower and supporter, had managed to assemble an active group of Jabalpur-based like-minded radicalised individuals. Some of the module members were already contemplating Hijrat (flight) to conflict theatres, while others had plans to form a local outfit for carrying out violent jihad in India, according to the NIA investigations.
He was also running multiple YouTube, Instagram and WhatsApp channels for motivating and recruiting youth into the ISIS fold.