Terrorists related to the Islamic State inspired by mastermind behind Easter Sunday attacks

Some of the persons arrested in connection with terrorist organisation ISIS have admitted that they were radicalised by the mastermind behind the Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka, The Times of India said.

“In three of these ISIS cases from Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the accused have admitted that they were radicalised by Zaharan Hashim’s videos. Hashim, as we know, was the mastermind of the Easter day bombings in Sri Lanka,” Inspector General (IG) of National Investigation Agency of India, Alok Mittal said at a conference of anti-terror agencies held in New Delhi, India on Monday.

Most of the 127 persons arrested in connection with cases linked to terror organisation ISIS from across 14 states in the country were inspired by controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, according to IG Alok Mittal.

“Accused in the majority of these ISIS cases have also admitted that they were radicalised through videos of Zakir Naik and other Islamic preachers, so a case was registered against Naik and his organisation Islamic Research Foundation (IRF),” Mittal added.

Addressing the conference, Mittal said that 127 people arrested in ISIS-related cases over the years including 33 from Tamil Nadu, 19 from Uttar Pradesh, 17 from Kerala and 14 from Telangana.

The inaugural session of the two-day national conference of chiefs of Anti-Terrorism Squad and Special Task Force (STF) that began here today was attended by National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and Minister of State (MoS) Home Affairs, G Kishan Reddy.

Former IB Special Director and present Nagaland Governor RN Ravi and NIA, DG, YC Modi were also present at the meeting.

During the conference, one session was dedicated to Jihadi terrorism and the efforts being made to counter the menace.

Source: Daily Mirror