NIA arrests three ISIS operatives attempting to radicalize, recruit members against India

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New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested three members allegedly affiliated with banned organisation ISIS in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Sunday (July 11).

The agency said that the three namely Umar Nisar, Tanveer Ahmad Bhat and Rameez Ahmad Lone were involved in a conspiracy of ISIS to “radicalize and recruit impressionable youth in India to wage violent jihad against the Indian State”.

“ISIS terrorists operating from various conflict zones along with ISIS cadres in India, by assuming pseudo- online identities, have created a network wherein ISIS-related propaganda material is disseminated for radicalizing and recruiting members to the fold of ISIS,” NIA said in a statement.

“In this connection, an India-Centric online propaganda magazine ‘the Voice of Hind’ (VOH) is published on monthly basis with an aim to incite and radicalize impressionable youth,” the agency added.

The NIA said they recovered a large number of incriminating documents, multiple digital devices and T-shirts with ISIS logo while searching the premises of the arrested persons.

“Preliminary examination of the seized material and examination of the accused persons revealed that they are active cadres of ISIS and have been using cyberspace to propagate inciting material by the online magazine (VOH),” it said.

“Examination of the arrested accused led to searches on July 12 at two more locations in Anantnag district in which a number of digital devices and other materials have been seized,” it added.