Twelve individuals with suspected ties to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent have been arrested following a coordinated operation by police teams from Andhra Pradesh and Delhi, police said.
The accused were apprehended from several states, including Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Telangana. Police said the arrests are part of a joint effort to curb radicalisation and prevent potential terrorist activities across the country.
“Online Radicalisation and Foreign Links“
Police said the group had connected with foreign handlers of ISIS and AQIS through a gaming application and were linked to a network called Benex Com, believed to be associated with ISIS.
“They were using social media to promote anti-national activities,” police said. “They replaced the Indian national flag with ISIS flags, burnt the tricolour, mocked the national anthem, and shared content praising terrorist organisations. Their aim was to encourage the idea of an Islamic State in India.”
Police added that the group was planning to travel to Pakistan within a month for terror training and were actively motivating young people to undergo similar training in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
“Vijayawada Trio Forms Radical Youth Network“
Three of the accused from Vijayawada, Mohammad Rahmatullah Shareef, Mirza Sohail Beg, and Mohammad Danish, reportedly formed a group called Al Malik Islamic Youth to radicalise young individuals, police said.
“The trio was promoting extremist ideologies, including the concept of Ghazwa-e-Hind, or war against India, and expanded their network across multiple states through online platforms,” police said. “They also circulated videos of former al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and projected themselves as Mujahideen while spreading radical propaganda.”
Police said Rahmatullah, a bike taxi driver, along with Danish, a laser marking professional, and Sohail Beg, who works at a restaurant, coordinated jihad-related activities under the guidance of a foreign handler named Al-Hakeem Shukur. They reportedly worked with other operatives, including Shadman Dilkush from Bihar, Saida Begum from Hyderabad, and several individuals in other states to expand their network.
Investigation Continues
Police said the investigation is ongoing to uncover further links and prevent any potential threats. “These arrests are part of a proactive effort to counter terrorism and radicalisation in India,” police said. “We are closely monitoring all leads to ensure such networks do not pose a danger to public safety.”
