NEW DELHI: In a major breakthrough, the Special Cell of Delhi Police arrested two suspected terrorists affiliated to the Islamic State in Jammu and Kashmir (ISJK) organisation near the historic Red Fort. Their arrest assumes significance as it is likely to help the security agencies identify the entire network of Islamic State and its franchise in J&K and their links were other pro-Pakistan terror outfits active in the Kashmir Valley. 


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Their arrest also points to the fact that the Islamic State through its affiliates is slowly but steadily spreading its wings in India. 


Though the Home Ministry and the J&K Police claims the negligible presence of the Islamic State in India, a loose group of young men has often waived black flags, used by the IS, in the Kashmir Valley.


A large number of Indians were last year for their alleged links to dreaded global terror outfit, revealing the growing influence of the Islamic State terror group.


Of the 75 persons held in 2017, Kerala accounted for 21, Telangana 16, Karnataka nine, Maharashtra eight, Madhya Pradesh six, Uttarakhand four, Uttar Pradesh three, Rajasthan two, Tamil Nadu four and Jammu and Kashmir and West Bengal had one each. 


Apart from these, 10 suspected IS activists were held in multi-state raids on April 20, last year.


The agencies believe at least seven IS terror modules are currently active in India, though the group has so far not carried out any major attack in the country.


At least 75 Indians have reportedly gone to fight for IS in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, including some Indian-origin youngsters from other countries. 


Since 2014, some of them were arrested from airports while on their way to join Jihad, while several reportedly died in battle abroad. 


In light of the past developments, the arrest of two terrorists, who hail from Shopian in Kashmir, is a firm pointer that the IS is trying to spread its wings in India.


The two ISJK terrorists arrested by the Special Cell were identified as Parvez (24) and Jamshid (19). 


Giving more information about the arrest of the two ISJ&K terrorists, PS Kushwaha, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell), said, ''They were arrested from the Jama Masjid bus stop near the Red Fort in the intervening night of Thursday and Friday.''


The two terrorists were arrested following specific intelligence inputs. The two were being tracked by the security agencies for quite some time which finally led to their arrest


Sharing more details, the DCP said the duo was on way to Kashmir when they were nabbed around 10.45 pm on Thursday.


Parvez and Jamshid had no terror plans for Delhi and were using the national capital as a transit point.



Out of the two men arrested by the Special Cell, Parvez is currently pursuing MTech from Gajrola in Uttar Pradesh.


He is believed to have been inspired to take up arms by his brother – a terrorist - who was killed in an encounter in Shopian on January 26 this year.


While Jamshid is a final-year diploma student. 


He is believed to have facilitated Mohammed Abdullah Basith's movement, who was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the DC P said.


This was their second trip to Delhi, they had gone from Amroha in Uttar Pradesh to Kashmir through Delhi in May.


A large cache of arms and ammunition were also seized from them, which they had acquired from some contacts in Uttar Pradesh.


According to the information shared by DCP Kushwaha, two .32 pistols and four cell phones were seized from the duo.


Speaking about their handlers, the DCP said that the duo was working on the instructions of Omar Ibn Nazir and Adil Thokar.


DCP Kushwaha said their arrest assumes significance as it will lead the security agencies to crack and the entire network of the ISJK.


The Special Cell of Delhi Police, which has taken the two terrorists under 5-day police remand is confident of getting more leads leading to arrest of the sleeper cell of the ISJK, which is still at a nascent stage.


After neutralizing a large number of dreaded terrorists last year, the security forces have recently launched the 'Operation All Out 2' and released the list of most terrorists belonging to Pakistan-inclined terror outfits Hijbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed and several others.