Updated, Dec. 18, 2023. 9.03 PM.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) today raided nineteen locations across four states and arrested eight operatives of the banned terror outfit the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, ISIS’s Ballari module, including its leader Minaz. In an early morning crackdown on ISIS, NIA teams swooped down on the locations spread across Ballari and Bengaluru in Karnataka, Amaravati, Mumbai and Pune in Maharashtra, Jamshedpur and Bokaro in Jharkhand and Delhi.
The eight ISIS agents arrested during the raids were involved in actively promoting terror and terror-related acts and activities of ISIS. NIA said in a release that the raids led to the seizure of explosive raw materials, such as Sulphur, Potassium Nitrate, Charcoal, Gunpowder, Sugar and Ethanol, sharp-edged weapons, unaccounted cash and incriminating documents, along with smartphones and other digital devices.
According to initial investigations, the accused had planned to use the explosive raw materials for the fabrication of IEDs, which were to be used for carrying out terror acts. They were specifically aiming at College students for recruitment and were also circulating documents relating to the recruitment of Mujahideen for Jihad.
The raids conducted today were part of NIA’s efforts to destroy the ISIS’ anti-terror terror conspiracy against India. The searches were carried out through close coordination and the operational assistance of Karnataka Police, Maharashtra Police, Jharkhand Police and the Delhi Police.