‘Foreign Handler & Funding for Bengaluru Blast Accused’: Intel Sources Reveal ISIS’s Plan in India | Exclusive

The arrest of two youths in Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram blast café case only shows the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant’s (ISIS or IS) desperate attempts to spread its wings in India, according to top intelligence sources.

“India is a vast country with a large Muslim population. India has very few ISIS recruits in comparison to its Muslim population, especially youth. ISIS will have to leave Syria and Iraq sooner or later due to international pressure, and they want to create sleeper cells globally before that," said sources.

Intel sources said the handler of the arrested duo — Mussavir Hussain Shazib and Abdul Matheen Taahaa — was foreign-based. Ibrahim Khalil is possibly the new handler who left Syria and is based in Iraq or Turkey. Since 2019, the terror group has received around Rs 12 lakh through cryptocurrency, but how much of it was used for Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram Café blast will have to verified through interrogation, said sources. “Foreign funding and foreign handlers hint at ISIS’s attempts. Locals are used to do small blasts and made prisoners for life," said sources.

According to intelligence sources, while youngsters are being radicalised, the situation is being managed with counselling and sometimes coercive methods. “India is the one market where their sleeper cells can work, but with continuous interventions, Indian agencies have managed to foil the attempts before any major blast," said sources.

Another sign of desperation is the coming together of ISIS, Indian Mujahideen (IM) and Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) under one umbrella and recycling of old ISIS accused like Saquib Nachan.

News18 had earlier reported about it. According to intel sources, agencies have almost destroyed major networks of Islamic State (ISIS or IS).

“We have detained and arrested a large number of youth who were radicalised and planned to do something major. Old handlers and operatives are also rearrested. With such harsh disruption, old organisations such as SIMI and IM had to come under one umbrella to fight back," intel sources had told News18.

News18 had reported how from detaining handlers and old operatives to controlling radicalisation, continuous disruption of ISIS modules has proved to be a game-changer for India’s internal security, according to top intelligence sources.

“Not only borders and external forces, internal radicalisation control is also top priority. Continuous disruption of ISIS by security forces is a game-changer. Even though ISIS is an issue across the world, India has managed to contain it," said sources.

Terrorist Saquib Nachan’s arrest in December was important because he was not only radicalising the youth, but was also arranging various types of training for them, sources had earlier told News18. He was handling all foreign operations, funding and psyops against India, they had added.

Investigative agencies busted several modules across the country through which the umbrella of the three terror groups was operating to plan major attacks. The Pune ISIS case brought the regrouping of the three outfits to light.