New Delhi, November 6
Indian security agencies have reportedly found that 12 local terrorist modules have recruited nearly 70 youths for ISIS activities. The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is a radical outfit, which had split from the al Qaeda in February, and aims at establishing a Caliphate (Islamic State) in Iraq and Syria. It has taken over large areas of northern and western Iraq.

Security agencies reported that the 12 terrorist modules include those of the Indian Mujahideen, a terror outfit, and the number of Indian youths indoctrinated by them might increase if such modules continued operating in the country.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had urged the Ministry of Home Affairs in September to register an FIR against the ISIS and its activities in India. Sources in the security establishment said the registration of an FIR would start the process of law, investigation, collection of evidence and arrest of people running the terrorist modules.

Fearing that the terrorist outfit may harm the 40 Indian hostages, mostly Punjabis, in its captivity, the Indian Government has not registered any FIR so far.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met families of the 40 hostages on Tuesday and told them that consistent efforts being made to secure their release. Sources said the 12 terrorist modules were mainly located in Mumbai, Kochi and Karnataka, including near a town called Bhatkal. Yasin Bhatkal, India’s most-wanted terrorist before he was apprehended from the India-Nepal border in August, belongs to Bhatkal. The main founders of the Indian Mujahideen (IM), the “Bhatkal brothers”, Riyaz and Iqbal, also belong to Bhatkal.

The terrorist modules near Bhatkal reportedly have links with IM terrorists abroad. Sources said Bada Sajid and Armar are the handlers abroad.

“In a chat between Yasin and Riyaz, the latter had mentioned that Sajid is fighting for the al Qaeda in Afghanistan. Other chats revealed that Riyaz had met a senior al Qaeda leader who was in charge of the outfit’s terror activities in India and some South-Asian countries. Riyaz had also told Yasin that the IM would be under the al Qaeda,” a source said.

“The Indian terrorists fighting abroad are instructed by their leaders to focus on recruiting youths from India. Local modules are set up and recruitment of youths begins. Young men, physically fit and strong, are sent to fight for the ISIS. The other end of the spectrum includes those who are made recruiters to motivate these men to fight. And the third category is of freelancers who fight for any outfit for money,” the source said.

Those recruiting youths are paid money through their handlers to facilitate a recruit’s travel abroad. “Most of the youths who have been recruited are from the lower-middle class. Some ensure that the recruits’ passports are made, while others arrange air tickets for them,” the source said.

Action can only be taken against these men if an FIR is registered. “It’s only after an FIR is registered that investigations begin, evidences are collected, chargesheets are filed and trials begin,” the source said. A youth from Tamil Nadu was recently deported from Singapore due to his alleged links with the ISIS. “The Tamil Nadu Police and the Intelligence Bureau had interrogated him. But they could not take action against him because no FIR was registered,” the source said.