The terrorist who belongs to a Central Asian nation was recruited by ISIS between April and June 2022, while in Turkey. He was instructed to leave for Russia, draw up the necessary documents, and fly to India, the Russian Federal Security Service said.
Russia has detained an Islamic State terrorist from a Central Asian country, who was plotting a suicide attack against a member of India’s leadership elite to avenge Prophet Mohammad’s insult, the country’s top intelligence agency said on Monday.
The ‘leadership elite’ is an apparent reference to the BJP which is the ruling party at the Centre.
The foreign national was recruited by one of the Islamic State’s ringleaders as a suicide bomber sometime between April and June 2022, while in Turkey, the state-owned TASS news agency quoted Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) as saying.
“The Federal Security Service has identified and apprehended in Russia a member of the outlawed (by the Russian Federation) Islamic State international terrorist organisation. The detainee is a native of a Central Asian country, who planned to commit a terrorist attack against a member of India’s ruling circles by blowing himself up,” the FSB said.
The terrorist’s “ideological indoctrination was conducted remotely via Telegram messenger accounts and during personal meetings in Istanbul with an IS representative,” PTI quoted the Russian Federal Security Service’s Center for Public Relations (CPR) as saying.
The FSB noted that the terrorist swore allegiance to the IS Emir (chief), after which he was instructed to leave for Russia, draw up the necessary documents and fly to India to commit this act of terrorism, Russian media reports said.
Terrorist wanted to “avenge insult to the Prophet”.
The terrorist, who was not identified by the Russian intelligence agency, confessed that he was preparing an act of terrorism against a member of India’s ruling circles “for insulting the Prophet Muhammad.”
In a video of his interrogation released by the CPR on Monday, the would-be suicide bomber said he swore allegiance to the IS Emir in April 2022 and underwent special training, after which he flew to Russia, from where he was to travel to India.
“I was supposed to be given things there to commit a terrorist attack at the behest of the IS for insulting the Prophet Muhammad, he said.
Prophet remark row.
In June, BJP suspended its spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled its Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal for their controversial remarks on the Prophet.
Sharma’s controversial remarks during a TV debate on 27 May 2022, had caused massive outrage in Islamic countries. Several nations including Iran and Qatar summoned Indian envoys over the issue.
Dreaded terror group ISIS and all its affiliate organisations, responsible for a series of attacks across the world have been banned in India under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Recruitment of youths to the outfit from India and their radicalisation is a matter of serious concern for the country especially with regard to its likely impact on national security when such youth return to India, the Home Ministry has said while banning the terrorist group.
According to Home Ministry, Islamic State is using various internet-based social media platforms to propagate its ideology. Cyberspace is being closely watched in this regard by the agencies concerned and action is taken as per law.
With inputs from agencies.