Exclusive: How Islamic State operates in south India

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, November 19, 2015: India Today spoke exclusively to a 23-year-old youth who if had not been stopped at Hyderabad airport would have been one of Islamic State’s foot soldiers by now.

 

Nearly 150 youths in the country are under the surveillance of security agencies for their alleged leanings towards dreaded terrorist group ISIS, responsible for the recent terror attacks in Paris. According to a report prepared by the intelligence agencies, the 150 people, mostly from South India, are believed to be attracted to the ISIS and sympathetic to the group’s activities.

"Most of them are in regular contact with some ISIS activists through online. Hence, we have kept all them under surveillance of security forces," an official privy to the development said. So far, a total of 23 Indians have gone to ISIS hold areas in Iraq-Syria to fight for the terrorist group. Of them six were killed while one returned home in Mumbai. 30 other Indians, who were radicalised by ISIS elements, were also prevented from travelling to the conflict zone in the Middle-East.

How the Islamic state lures the gullible

The revelations after the arrest of alleged ISIS operative, Afsha Jabeen last week about how closed groups on different social media platforms were used to lure and indoctrinate gullible minds to become part of the Islamic State network have made one thing clear. That the battle to fight this enemy will be in the virtual space. TV Today reporter Ashish pandey explains how the network is reaching out to youths.

If this 23-year-old had not been stopped at the last minute at the Hyderabad international airport in August this year, he would have been by now, one of the several faceless and nameless foot soldiers of the Islamic State. Highly motivated and radicalised, by his own admission, this youth speaking on the condition of anonymity reveals chilling details of how the Islamic State cast his net around him and ensnared him into its web of terror.

First-hand account of a former ISIS India recruit

If this 23-year-old had not been stopped at the last minute at the Hyderabad international airport in August this year, he would have been by now, one of the several faceless and nameless foot soldiers of the Islamic State. Highly motivated and radicalised, by his own admission, this youth speaking on the condition of anonymity reveals chilling details of how the Islamic State cast his net around him and ensnared him into its web of terror. The youth said, "I always wanted to help the refugees. And in Facebook, such videos were posted by the Islamic State. Hence i developed interest."

Courtesy: Indiatoday