Wary of NIA crackdown, ISIS handlers ask Indian scouts to 'lie low'

NEW DELHI: Top Islamic State ( ISIS) handlers based in Syria have reportedly instructed their contacts in India to "lie low for some time" in the wake of the NIA's multi-state crackdown in January on an ISIS-inspired module led by Mumbai-based techie Mudabbir Mushtaq Shaikh.

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Sources in the security establishment have told TOI that there are inputs that top ISIS recruiter Shafi Armar alias Yousuf al Hindi has told Indians in touch with him via internet/social media to restrict their online activity aimed at scouting for young Muslims who can be radicalised and motivated to either travel to Iraq/Syria to fight jihad or stage attacks within India.

"We have noticed that online exchanges between foreign-based ISIS elements and net-savvy Indian youth have dipped after top ISIS operatives asked Indian recruiters/motivators to lie low to avert further police crackdown," said an intelligence officer.

As part of the January crackdown, in which nearly two dozen people have been arrested, the NIA went after top members managing ISIS recruitment in India.
While there has been lower engagement with ISIS recruiters over the past couple of months, agencies warn that this does not mean the outfit's traction among the country's youth has gone down.

Sources say Indian agencies are tracking sympathisers following pro-ISIS websites/social media accounts and are fully prepared to intervene as and when they show signs of leaving the country to join the ISIS or actively planning a likely strike in India.

"Though we have pro-ISIS elements under surveillance, we avoid an intervention unless we are sure that they are putting together logistics for a strike," said a senior officer of the security establishment.

As many as three ISIS-inpired modules have been busted over the past one year. In May 2015, five members of an ISIS module were arrested in Ratlam, MP. The module, led by Imran Khan, among the five arrested, was in touch with Yousuf al Hindi, who was allegedly motivating it to target BJP/RSS members as well as police officers. Two firearms and some commonly available explosives were seized from them.

In January, a second ISIS-influenced module was busted in Uttarakhand and four members arrested following a tip-off that they were planning to attack the Ardh Kumbh Mela.

They were also found to be in touch with Yousuf al Hindi. The biggest — and pan-Indian — crackdown came on the eve of Republic Day. In multi-state raids on January 23, the NIA swooped down upon several members of an ISIS-inspired module calling themselves Janood ul Khilafa-e-Hind. Heading this module was Amir Muddabir Shaikh, who had also received Rs 6 lakh to allegedly fund training and other logistics for strikes on India.