25 Indians linked to ISIS-K under scanner in Afghanistan
Darpan News Desk IANS, 31 Aug, 2021 11:06 AM
New Delhi, Aug 31 (IANS) Security and intelligence establishments are keeping a close watch on the movements of 25 Indians who are wanted in Afghanistan for their alleged link to the terror group Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), an offshoot of Islamic State.
The agencies believe that currently they are living in Afghanistan, near the Nangarhar area close to the borders with Pakistan.
Sources said that they are hiding near the hometown of Amin al Haq, the former security chief of Osama bin Laden.
Haq, who was detained by Pakistan and then freed, returned to his hometown in Nangarhar with an armed Taliban escort. A video of Haq has surfaced where he can be seen triumphantly returning to his home, less than two weeks after the country fell to the Taliban.
The National Investigation Agency has so far identified one Munsib, who is active on social media and is actively involved in online recruitment.
Further, the Taliban have also released ISIS-K recruiter Aijaz Ahangar from a jail in Afghanistan. Ahangar is listed as a most-wanted terrorist in India.
A source said that ISIS-K is seeking to remain relevant and rebuild its ranks, with a focus on recruitment and training of new supporters potentially drawn from the ranks of Taliban who reject the peace process.
After the jail break in Afghanistan, many ISIS-K terrorists, including wanted Indians, were freed.
The security establishment said that "thousands" of prisoners affiliated to ISIS-K have been freed from Afghan prisons.
It is believed that at its height in 2016, ISIS-K boasted only 3,000-4,000 fighters in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The numbers have been depleted in the years since.
As part of a crackdown in Afghanistan since 2019, many Indians affiliated to ISIS-K were put in jail. Among those in jail were 300 Pakistanis, a few Chinese and Bangladeshis. In all, over 1,400 ISIS-K terrorists had surrendered before the Afghan forces.
The deceased were identified as Rinki Kumari, Karisma Kumari, Lado Kumari and their aunt Sonam Devi. All of them were residents of Baratandi village. Another minor girl named Vibha Kumari is battling for her life in RIMS Pawapuri.
The BJP government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not allowed a single terrorist act to take place except for a few incidents at the border. The policy is zero tolerance to terrorism. The government has never let down the morale of soldiers and armed forces in the last 7 years, Joshi explained.
Addressing the media here to launch the party's campaign 'Gall Punjab Di', the SAD chief said he would hold 700 public meetings and address each and every section of the society during his 100-day yatra during the course of which SAD workers would go to each and every village and ward in the state.
Amidst the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, the Indian government decided to recall all embassy personnel from Kabul and they were evacuated by an Indian Air Force C-17 aircraft on Tuesday. The IAF aircraft brought back 120 Indian officials, including the last batch of the Indian embassy staff and ITBP personnel, from the Kabul airport.
Newly-appointed Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday appointed Jalandhar Cantt MLA and his close confidant Pargat Singh as the new general secretary of Punjab Congress ahead of the Assembly elections in the state scheduled next year.
The police immediately rushed the duo to Ram Manohar Lohia hospital for treatment. The two have not been identified so far, and Delhi Police are probing the matter to ascertain the reason behind their action.
