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 farmers have been on agitation since August 20 by blocking the Delhi-Amritsar national highway near Jalandhar, along with the rail tracks, over their demand for raising the SAP of sugarcane. They have already rejected the hike of Rs 15 per quintal announced by the government last week.
Indian defence forces have employed the best equipment available in the country to locate the wreckage, which includes remotely operated underwater vehicles, handheld navigation system with sonar, side scanner sonar with echo sensor and portable transducer, divers propulsion vehicle, multi-beam sonar and submarine rescue unit of the India Navy, an official statement said.
The convicts are Shaik Showkath, 35, Mohd Khalid, 22, Mohd Afroz, 20, Abdul Salman Khan, 20, Shaik Salman, 22, and Mujahid Khan, 20. They are all residents of New Hafeezpet, Serilingampally Mandal, Ranga Reddy district.
A Northern Railway spokesperson said that due to farmers agitation in Ferozpur division of Punjab, it has cancelled 68 train including two Vande Bharat and Rajdhani each, four Shatabdi Express, one Duranto, and two Janshatabdi Express trains.
According to police, the robbers, coming out of the Amruth Gold and Silver shop after the crime, saw Chandru approach and opened fire at him, fearing he may try to apprehend them or alert the public. One of the bullets hit Chandru on the head and he died on the spot.
The Vigilance Bureau arrested Saini, who retired in June 2018, for cheating, forgery and other offences under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act on Wednesday.
