Ahead of the detention of a suicide bomber from the Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), who was plotting a terrorist attack against one of India’s leadership elite, in Russia, a foreign counter-terror agency had, in July, shared with India information on the recruitment, top intelligence sources told CNN-News18.
On July 27, a foreign anti-terror agency informed India about a bomber arrested in Russia. The agency said that two suicide bombers, from Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, were ready for the terrorist attack in India, said sources. One of them was based in Turkey.
According to the shared inputs, these men were from the Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP) and were to come to India. The ISKP had decided that they would only use central Asians for the suicide attack. The motive of the bomber was to possibly attack leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or its associates such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to avenge the insult of Prophet Mohammed, said sources.
India was told that they would come via Russia and their visa application would go to the Russian Embassy in Moscow or some other consulate in August, said sources. These details were also shared with Russia, which led to his detention by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), said sources.
RAIDS AFTER INPUTS
As Indian agencies got the inputs on the plan around July 27, the anti-terrorism squad (ATS) held meetings across the country to break the backbone of the IS network.
The agency then started a continuous crackdown on the IS.
In two days, at least 35 places were raided and people were taken into custody. After permission from Russia, Indian teams are expected to join the interrogation.
The Central government has notified the IS and all its manifestations as Terrorist Organisation and included them in the First Schedule to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. According to Union Home ministry, the IS is using various internet-based social media platforms to propagate its ideology. The cyberspace is being closely watched by the agencies concerned and action is taken as per the law.
INDOCTRINATED ON TELEGRAM
“Russia’s FSB identified and detained a member of the Islamic State international terrorist organisation banned in Russia, a native of a country in the Central Asian region, who planned to commit a terrorist act by blowing himself up against one of the representatives of the ruling circles of India," the authority said in a statement.
According to the Russian security agency, his indoctrination was carried out remotely through the Telegram app.
“It has been established that a foreigner in the period from April to June 2022, while on the territory of the Republic of Turkey, was recruited by one of the leaders of the ITO ‘IS’ as a suicide bomber. His indoctrination was carried out remotely through the accounts of the messenger Telegram and during personal meetings in Istanbul by a representative of the terrorist organisation," the Russian security agency statement said.
“As a result, the terrorist took an oath of allegiance to the Amir of IS. After that, he was given the task of leaving for Russia and getting the necessary documents and flying to India to commit a high-profile terrorist act," the FSB added.
With Agency Inputs
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