Indian airports, seaports on high alert as ‘25 IS-linked Indians in Afghanistan’

Indian airports and seaports, manned by the Bureau of Immigration (BOI), have been put on alert to watch out for 25 Indians, suspected to be affiliated with the Islamic State in Afghanistan, from entering the country. They were identified by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) during its probe into several IS-inspired modules active in Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, officials added.

While the NIA sleuths said that they were not aware about their present status, investigations have established that all of them migrated (hijarat) to Afghanistan and joined ISIS in the Nangarhar province. The vigil has been mounted at all the 43 airports, seaports, land and international rail check posts warning that these suspects may try to enter India from a third country.

A senior official, citing the testimony of family members, said some of them are believed to have died but they are still awaiting confirmation from foreign agencies. A red corner notice (RCN), issued on the request of NIA, already exists against all the suspects. Among them were Abdulla Abdul Rashid and Dr Ijas Kallukettiya Purayil, who is said to have motivated around two dozen Indian men and women to join ISIS.


A physician from Kasargod, Purayil was suspected to be involved in the Jalalabad prison attack in August 2020. Another suspect who travelled with Abdulla and Ijas and later identified as Muhammed Muhsin, was said to be part of the Gurudwara attack in Kabul in March last year. However, Indian agencies are still awaiting confirmation on the identities of the prison and gurudwara attackers.

Further, the home ministry received information that women fighters who migrated to Afghanistan to join ISIS but surrendered later before the Ashraf Ghani government, have been freed after Taliban took over Kabul. They were among the thousands of ISIS fighters freed after the jail break in Afghanistan, they added.

NIA officials said they have identified some of the suspects who are still active on social media and are believed to be operating from Afghan-Pak borders. “They are wanted in our cases. Some of them are presumed dead,” said a senior NIA official.