The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

The Strategic Issues & International Relations Forum is a venue to discuss issues pertaining to India's security environment, her strategic outlook on global affairs and as well as the effect of international relations in the Indian Subcontinent. We request members to kindly stay within the mandate of this forum and keep their exchanges of views, on a civilised level, however vehemently any disagreement may be felt. All feedback regarding forum usage may be sent to the moderators using the Feedback Form or by clicking the Report Post Icon in any objectionable post for proper action. Please note that the views expressed by the Members and Moderators on these discussion boards are that of the individuals only and do not reflect the official policy or view of the Bharat-Rakshak.com Website. Copyright Violation is strictly prohibited and may result in revocation of your posting rights - please read the FAQ for full details. Users must also abide by the Forum Guidelines at all times.
SBajwa
BRF Oldie
Posts: 5777
Joined: 10 Jan 2006 21:35
Location: Attari

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by SBajwa »

Manish_P wrote:
SSridhar wrote:A blow to the last vestiges of pluralism - Ruchi Kumar, The Hindu
Huh, what ?

When exactly were the Sikh and Hindu communities thriving in Afghanistan :?:
They mostly indulge in dry fruits business or transportation!
Manish_P
BRF Oldie
Posts: 5383
Joined: 25 Mar 2010 17:34

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by Manish_P »

My query was about the period, Sir. When were they thriving.. a couple of years ago? a decade back? half a century back? couple of centuries ago?

The article kind of tries to portray that things were not that bad till recently.
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25085
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by SSridhar »

Another arrest in case of IS conspiracy - PTI
In a fresh arrest over a suspected IS plot to attack mass events using poisonous chemicals, the Maharashtra anti-terrorism squad has picked up a 34-year-old man from Mumbra in Thane district, taking the number of people in custody so far to 10.

Talha Podrik was arrested on Saturday, a squad official said on Sunday. A laptop, a tablet computer, a hard disk, pen drives, a router, mobile phones and diaries were seized from the residence of Podrik
, he said.

The agency had earlier arrested eight people, and detained a minor boy, from Aurangabad and Thane after several teams carried out searches through January 21 and 22.

They were charged under Section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Bombay Police Act.
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25085
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by SSridhar »

US says it won't cede leadership of IS fight despite pullout - AP
America will not cede leadership of the fight against the Islamic State group, secretary of state Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday, as he tried to allay fears that President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw forces from Syria could imperil gains against the militants there and neighbouring Iraq.

Trump's announcement in December shocked US allies and led to the resignations of defense secretary Jim Mattis and the top US envoy to the anti-IS coalition, Brett McGurk.


While the withdrawal would fulfill a Trump goal, US military leaders have pushed back for months, arguing IS remains a threat and could regroup. US policy had been to keep troops in place until the extremists are completely eradicated. Fears that IS fighters are making a strategic maneuver to lay low ahead of the US pullout has fueled criticism that Trump telegraphed his military plans - the same thing he accused President Barack Obama of doing in Afghanistan.

Pompeo told foreign ministers and senior officials from the 79-member, US-led coalition that the planned withdrawal "is not a change in the mission" but a change in tactics against a group that should still be considered a menace. IS has lost more than 99 per cent of the territory it once held in the two countries.

"America will continue to lead in giving those who would destroy us no quarter," Pompeo said.

Pompeo called on the coalition to increase intelligence-sharing, repatriate and prosecute captured foreign fighters and accelerate stabilisation efforts so IS remnants cannot reconstitute in Iraq, Syria or elsewhere. He said the fight is entering a new stage where those allied against IS must confront a "decentralised jihad" with more than military force.

Pompeo mentioned the suicide bombing claimed by IS that killed four Americans - two service members, a Pentagon civilian and a US contractor - in the northern Syrian town of Manbij last month. Manbij was liberated from IS control in 2016.

The conference started hours after Trump, in his State of the Union address, lauded what he said was the near-complete victory over IS. He also reaffirmed his determination to pull out the roughly 2,000 US troops from Syria. He had said in December that the pullout would proceed quickly.

Trump planned to speak to the coalition later Wednesday. He was expected to urge partners to step up efforts to ensure the defeat of IS is permanent.

US officials in recent weeks say IS has lost 99.5 per cent of its territory and is holding on to fewer than 5 square kilometers in Syria, or less than 2 square miles, in the villages of the Middle Euphrates River Valley, where the bulk of the fighters are concentrated.

But defense officials believe many fighters have fled to ungoverned spaces and other pockets in the north and west, and are likely hiding out until they can regroup.

A defense department watchdog report warned this week that even with the IS forces on the run, the group "is still able to coordinate offensives and counter-offensives, as well as operate as a decentralized insurgency."
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25085
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by SSridhar »

Trump says may declare ISIS defeated next week - Straits Times
United States President Donald Trump said on Wednesday (Feb 6) that he expected a formal announcement as early as next week that the coalition fighting Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants has reclaimed all of the territory previously held by the extremist group.

"Their land is gone. It's a big factor - their land is gone," Mr Trump told foreign ministers and other senior officials from 79 countries that have worked alongside the US in fighting the militant group in Syria and Iraq.

Mr Trump's decision to withdraw US forces from Syria has prompted some criticism at home from Republican and Democratic lawmakers, who fear ISIS could regain its strength.

A top US Army general for the region, Mr Joseph Votel, said in Senate testimony on Tuesday that the group could experience a resurgence after a US pullout.

Mr Trump did not back down from his determination to withdraw, saying: "We look forward to giving our brave warriors in Syria a warm welcome home."

"The United States military, our coalition partners and the Syrian Democratic Forces have liberated virtually all of the territory previously held by ISIS in Syria and Iraq," Mr Trump told the gathering at the State Department.

He said the achievement "should be formally announced, sometime, probably next week, that we will have 100 per cent of the caliphate".

Earlier, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reassured the coalition partners that the withdrawal of US troops from Syria was not "the end of America's fight" and called on them to help permanently defeat ISIS.

The report warned that ISIS continues to attract dozens of foreign fighters to Syria and Iraq each month, and maintains a flow of external donations.

"The US troops withdrawing from Syria is not the end of America's fight. The fight is one we will continue to wage alongside you," Mr Pompeo said. "The drawdown in troops is essentially a tactical change, it is not a change in the mission. It simply represents a new stage in an old fight."

Warnings by Mr Pompeo and others that ISIS remained a dangerous threat fly in the face of Mr Trump's December declaration that the militants had been defeated and the US would withdraw its roughly 2,000 US troops from Syria.

The President's sudden decision shocked coalition partners, including an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias that has been among the most effective against ISIS, and prompted the abrupt resignation of Defence Secretary Jim Mattis.

Wednesday's meeting was the first of senior coalition officials since Mr Trump announced US troops would withdraw. Participants included foreign ministers from Turkey, France, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco and Iraq.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohamed al-Hakim called on countries to help expose ISIS "sleeper cells" in Iraq and restore stability.

Mr Pompeo said despite progress in fighting ISIS in Iraq, the group retained a strong presence in that country and was trying to mount a clandestine insurgency.

"The coalition must continue to support the government of Iraq in its efforts to secure the liberated areas of that country," he said. "Mr Foreign Minister, we're with you," he told Mr Hakim.

Earlier, Mr Trump said it was important to keep a US military presence in Iraq so that Washington could keep a close eye on Iran, according to a CBS interview aired on Sunday.

However, Iraqi President Barham Salih said on Monday that Mr Trump did not ask Iraq's permission for US troops stationed there to "watch Iran". The US and Iran are Iraq's two biggest allies.

On Wednesday, Mr Hakim, apparently responding to Mr Trump's comment, called on countries to show full "respect for the territorial integrity of Iraq and for all operations to take place with the knowledge of Iraq, and in consultations with Iraqi security forces".

Image
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25085
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by SSridhar »

Punjab [Pakistan]: Turning a Blind Eye - Tushar Ranjan Mohanty, South Asia Terrorism Portal, Vol. 17, No. 35
On January 20, 2019, Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) officials of Punjab Police killed two terrorists, identified as Abdur Rehman and Kashif Langra, in a shootout in Gujranwala District of Punjab. The suspects allegedly belonged to Islamic State (IS, also Daesh) and were gunned down in an exchange of fire, an unnamed CTD spokesperson disclosed, claiming that the two were accomplices of IS 'local commander' Zeeshan. The deceased were wanted for their involvement in attacks on Security Forces (SFs) and kidnapping of local and foreign citizens, the spokesperson added.

A day earlier, on January 19, 2019, IS 'local commander' Zeeshan was killed during an encounter with CTD personnel in Sahiwal District. Three civilians, including a husband, wife and their teenage daughter, were also killed during the encounter.
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25085
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by SSridhar »

Does Islamic State still pose a threat? - Reuters
Islamic State looks about to lose its last foothold - on the banks of the Euphrates near the Iraq border - but while its era of territorial rule may be over for now, there is near universal agreement that IS remains a threat.

What has its territorial defeat accomplished?

Islamic State's possession of land in Iraq and Syria set it apart from other like-minded groups such as al Qaeda and became central to its mission when it declared a caliphate in 2014, claiming sovereignty over all Muslim lands and peoples.

The destruction of the quasi-state it built there has denied the group its most potent propaganda and recruiting tool as well as a logistical base from which it could train fighters and plan coordinated attacks overseas.

It also freed its former subjects from summary executions and draconian punishment for breaking its strict laws or, for some minorities, sexual slavery and slaughter.

Warfare wiped out thousands of its fighters. And, financially, its defeat deprives it of greater resources than any modern jihadist movement has enjoyed, including taxes on its inhabitants and the proceeds of oil sales.

What threat does Islamic State still pose in Iraq and Syria?

In its previous guise as an al Qaeda offshoot in Iraq a decade ago, IS navigated adversity by going underground, biding its time to rise suddenly again.

Since suffering devastating territorial losses in 2017, IS has steadily turned again to such tactics. Sleeper cells in Iraq have staged a scatter-gun campaign of kidnappings and killings to undermine the Baghdad government.

The group has also carried out many bombings in northeast Syria, which is controlled by U.S.-backed Kurdish forces, including one that killed four Americans in January. Kurdish and U.S. officials say it remains a menace there.

In Syria, IS fighters are on the brink of losing their last foothold of Baghouz at the Iraqi border. But they still have a presence in sparsely populated territory west of the Euphrates River in an area otherwise held by the Syrian government.

What has happened to its leaders, fighters and followers?

The fate of the IS leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, remains a mystery. The U.S. government's top experts strongly believe he is alive and possibly hiding in Iraq, U.S. sources recently said. Other top-echelon leaders have been killed in air strikes.

Thousands of Islamic State insurgents and civilian followers have also been killed and thousands more captured. An unknown number remain at large in both Syria and Iraq.

Iraq is putting on trial, imprisoning and often executing IS detainees. The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) holds many hundreds of Islamic State fighters and followers.

Ahead of the final assault on Baghouz, the SDF said it had 800 foreign fighters and more than 2,000 IS wives and children in its hands. The SDF has evacuated a large number of IS followers from Baghouz, so these numbers are now higher.

Many low-level local operatives have been released in Syria.

The SDF complains that Western states are reluctant to take back the foreign fighters, who are widely seen as a security threat at home but who might be hard to legally prosecute.

Can it still organise or inspire attacks overseas?


As Islamic State clung to its last scrap of land, the head of Britain's spy agency MI6 warned that the group would return to “asymmetric” attacks.

Even after it began losing ground militarily, IS still claimed responsibility for attacks made in different countries, though often these have been blamed on “lone wolves” without its direction.

It started years ago to call on followers abroad to plan their own attacks, rather than focusing purely on ones staged by trained operatives supported by the group's hierarchy.

In early 2018 the head of U.S. military central command said Islamic State was resilient and remained capable of “inspiring attacks throughout the region and outside of the Middle East”.

What does its fall mean for the future of global jihad?

Although Islamic State's core territory was in Iraq and Syria, jihadists fighting in other countries, notably Nigeria, Yemen and Afghanistan, pledged their allegiance to it.

Whether those groups will still wear its mantle, especially if Baghdadi is captured or killed, is an open question, but there seems little chance they will soon end their campaigns.

Al Qaeda also retains numerous franchises around the world, and other militant Islamist groups operate in countries where normal governance has broken down.

Jihadist ideology has long proven itself able to mutate as circumstances change, and there is no shortage of warfare, injustice, oppression, poverty, sectarianism and naked religious hatred for Islamist militants to exploit.
Tuan
BRFite
Posts: 440
Joined: 16 Oct 2008 01:26

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by Tuan »

An opinion piece of mine about returning ISIS fighters that featured in the NATO Canada
http://natoassociation.ca/opinion-retur ... o-be-done/
UlanBatori
BRF Oldie
Posts: 14045
Joined: 11 Aug 2016 06:14

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by UlanBatori »

What China is doing to head off the ISIS types: from US Pompous Hyooman Rites Report

(Re: Uighur Le-Education Lesolts)
"You haven't seen things like this since the 1930s -- of rounding up, I mean, some estimations are in the millions of people, and putting them into camps, and trying to -- torturing them, abusing them, and trying to basically erase their culture and their religion," said Amb. Michael Kozak, the senior bureau official for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. "It's just remarkably awful."
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25085
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by SSridhar »

Terror intel puts Delhi, Mumbai and Goa on alert - Raj Shekhar, ToI
Intelligence agencies have alerted police in Delhi, Mumbai and Goa about twin threats from Islamic State and al-Qaida, sources said. The two inputs, which warn of avenging the New Zealand incident and possible strike on Jewish establishments, have come in a span of four days.

The inputs suggest that terrorists might try to use a vehicle or a knife in the attacks. The agencies have suggested an increase in vigil around the Israeli Embassy, Consulate General in Mumbai as well as synagogues and Chabad houses, sources said.

The first alert, dated March 20, talks of IS and connected cells planning to avenge the attack in Christchurch, New Zealand in which 50 people died. A 29-year-old Australian citizen, Brenton Tarrant, had entered two mosques with automatic weapons and opened indiscriminate fire.

The input reads: “As per the information received from multiple sources, an audio speech of IS spokesperson Abu Hassan al-Muhajir is being circulated on closed online groups and chat platforms wherein Muhajir is heard calling on his supporters to avenge the massacre at the mosques. This audio and other chatter indicates intent to avenge the incident. Appropriate action may be taken in this connection.”

Sources in Delhi Police said that deployment outside places of worship has been increased. “We are keeping a close watch on developments,” an officer said.

The second input, dated March 23, is about a possible strike by an al-Qaida cell at Jewish residential establishments or synagogues. The chatter intercepted by agencies indicates execution of an attack using “non-conventional” weapons. “The attack may be in the form of a lone wolf using a knife or a car or truck,” it said. For Goa, the inputs specifically mention a few places.

Police have beefed up security at major installations, apart from those mentioned in the inputs. Security outside the embassy of Israel has also been reviewed, sources said. Patrolling has been enhanced and policemen at pickets have been asked to be on the lookout for suspicious vehicles.
Tuan
BRFite
Posts: 440
Joined: 16 Oct 2008 01:26

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by Tuan »

My article for NATO Canada that explores how the arts can play a part in countering violent extremism.
http://natoassociation.ca/the-role-of-a ... extremism/
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25085
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by SSridhar »

Terrorists arrested in Patna with ISIS posters, docus of troop deployment in J-K: Police - The Hindu
Two Bangladeshi nationals with alleged links to terror outfits have been arrested near Patna Junction railway station and documents related to deputation of Central forces in J&K have been found from them, officials said onTuesday.

The duo, Khairul Mandal and Abu Sultan from Jhenaidah district of Bangladesh, are associated with the terror outfit Jamiat-Ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh and Islamic State Bangladesh
, it said.PTI
chetak
BRF Oldie
Posts: 32225
Joined: 16 May 2008 12:00

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by chetak »

twitter
New Zealand women showing solidarity with the victims of the massacre, or with ISIS? This is an ISIS symbol. It means there is only one God and every other God else is false, thus should be fought. Do they believe in Allah? This foolishness is getting out of control.



Image
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25085
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by SSridhar »

Abu Dhabi terror module arrests: NIA takes 3 into custody in Hyderabad - The Hindu
National Investigation Agency (NIA) picked up three people following searches at three locations in the outskirts of Hyderabad, in connection with the arrest of three youths for links with the ISIS in August 2018.

The searches were carried out after investigators found that a person from King's colony in Mailardevpally was in touch with two of the arrested — Mohammed Abdullah Basith and Mohammed Abdul Qhadeer. The details of the other two are yet to be confirmed.

On Saturday morning at 4 a.m., the NIA officials reached the residence of Mohammed Taaha, and conducted searches after questioning him and his wife. Taaha was later taken to the NIA office in Madhapur for questioning.

.@NIA_India picked up a youngster from King's colony over alleged links with two youngsters arrested in Hyderabad last year for their links with #ISIS. @the_hindu @THHyderabad #Hyderabad #Telangana pic.twitter.com/sqfvPh4XhD
— Abhinay Deshpande|అభినయ్ देशपांडे (@AbhinayTheHindu) April 20, 2019


Sources confirmed that Taaha was in touch with Basith and Qhadeer in connection with an Abu Dhabi terror module of Islamic State busted in 2016. The investigating agency had filed supplementary charge sheet against Basith and Qadeer in February.

During interrogation, Basith reportedly told NIA officials that Taaha had provided them shelter at Nagpur in Maharashtra.

Further searches were also conducted at Bandlaguda and Falaknuma based on the fresh leads.
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25085
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by SSridhar »

Sri Lankan police looking for 140 with Islamic State links - president - Reuters
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said on Friday police are looking for 140 people believed to have links with the Islamic State group over the Easter Sunday attacks on churches and hotels that killed at least 253 people.
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25085
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by SSridhar »

Sri Lanka Attack Signals ISIS’ Widening Reach - Rukmini Callimachi and Eric Schmitt, NYT
Singha
BRF Oldie
Posts: 66601
Joined: 13 Aug 2004 19:42
Location: the grasshopper lies heavy

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by Singha »

UlanBatori wrote:What China is doing to head off the ISIS types: from US Pompous Hyooman Rites Report

(Re: Uighur Le-Education Lesolts)
"You haven't seen things like this since the 1930s -- of rounding up, I mean, some estimations are in the millions of people, and putting them into camps, and trying to -- torturing them, abusing them, and trying to basically erase their culture and their religion," said Amb. Michael Kozak, the senior bureau official for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. "It's just remarkably awful."
cheen always imitate the US, who jailed their entire japanese american pop without due process or filtering for the duration of the war.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internmen ... _Americans

The internment of Japanese Americans in the United States during World War II was the forced relocation and incarceration in concentration camps in the western interior of the country of between 110,000 and 120,000[5] people of Japanese ancestry, most of whom lived on the Pacific coast. Sixty-two percent of the internees were United States citizens.[6][7] These actions were ordered by President Franklin D. Roosevelt shortly after Imperial Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor.[8]

The internment is considered to have resulted more from racism than from any security risk posed by Japanese Americans.[12][13] Those who were as little as 1/16 Japanese,[14] orphaned infants, and anyone with—in the words of the architect behind the internment program, Colonel Karl Bendetsen—"one drop of Japanese blood" were placed in the internment camps.[15]

The United States Census Bureau assisted the internment efforts by spying and providing confidential neighborhood information on Japanese Americans. The Bureau denied its role for decades, but it became public in 2007.[21][22] In 1944, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the removal by ruling against Fred Korematsu's appeal for violating an exclusion order.[23] The Court limited its decision to the validity of the exclusion orders, avoiding the issue of the incarceration of U.S. citizens without due process

^^^
so who are they to sling mud on china :rotfl: both are birds of same feathers
UlanBatori
BRF Oldie
Posts: 14045
Joined: 11 Aug 2016 06:14

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by UlanBatori »

Tuan wrote:My article for NATO Canada that explores how the arts can play a part in countering violent extremism.
http://natoassociation.ca/the-role-of-a ... extremism/
Tuanji, nice article. But one comment on the nice leadoff on how the "Syrian Democratic Forces" defeated ISIS etc, with NATO, "US and Allies" taking credit for this awesome victory.

I find this most inspiring. Next Boston Maraton I plan to join the race at the Mile 24.9 post and sprint to victory. Pls hold ur breath for the YouTube video documenting my victory and the new Record. :mrgreen:
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25085
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by SSridhar »

NIA raids 3 Kerala houses, looks for links with Lanka bombers - Bharti Jain, ToI
In developments that come in the wake of the Sri Lanka bombings, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday carried out searches at the houses of three suspects linked to an Islamic State-inspired module comprising over a dozen people from Kasargod in Kerala who had left India in 2016 to join IS in Nangarhar, Afghanistan.

According to sources, the NIA team conducted raids at the houses of Ahamed Arafat and Aboobacker Siddique under the Vidyanagar police station limits in Kasargod. The house of a third person in Kollankode in Palakkad district was also searched.

The NIA is questioning the suspects not only because they were in touch with Abdul Rashid Abdulla, the absconding leader of the IS Kasargod module, and other accused, but also to establish any possible link between the module and the bombers behind Easter Day attacks in Sri Lanka. The cross-straits connections of the National Thowheed Jamaat, which has been named in the Sri Lanka bombings, are being probed.

Indian agencies have been tracking IS-motivated individuals and groups and the Wahhabi links of some Tamil Nadu-based organisations and the NTJ has been a matter of discussion in security circles. The IS claimed authorship of the Easter attacks carried out through local recruits who swore allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi.

Late last year, the NIA, while carrying out searches at the premises of six accused in the IS Coimbatore module case allegedly involving a plot to target Hindu leaders in south India, seized computer devices with jihadi videos of NTJ leader Zahran Hashim. The NIA alerted Indian intelligence agencies which developed information on terror attacks being plotted in Sri Lanka. The intelligence was shared with Sri Lankan authorities on three different occasions, including hours before the bombings.

During searches at the residence of the three suspects on Sunday, mobile phones, SIM cards, memory cards, pen drives, diaries with handwritten notes in Arabic and Malayalam, DVDs of Salafi preacher Zakir Naik besides untitled DVDs, CDs with religious speeches, books of Zakir Naik and Syed Kutheb {Syed Qutb, the Egyptian mastermind} were seized. Digital devices will be forensically examined and analysed, the NIA said. Naik has surfaced as a motivator for terror cells and IS modules in the past few years. He remains abroad.

As per NIA’s chargesheet in the IS Kasargod module case, Abdulla and his wife Ayisha had travelled to Sri Lanka in February 2016 to attend classes in Islamic studies at Al-Quma Arabic College in Colombo. In fact, two other couples from India, Bestin Vincent and his wife Mariyam and Ashfaq Majeed and Shamsiya, were also there with Abdulla attending the same course.

However, when the teacher found out that Abdulla, Bestin and Ashfaq were propagating IS ideology and views of jihad among other students, they were expelled from the college and returned to India on April 14, 2016.


It was after Abdulla returned from Sri Lanka that he began arranging resources for travel of 15 of his radicalised followers. All of them, except Yasmeen Zahid from Patna, managed to exit the country between May 31 and July 5, 2016, and are believed to have reached Nangarhar via Oman and Iran. Yasmeen, who was intercepted at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport while trying to leave India in July 2016, now stands convicted in the case.

“We are questioning the three suspects, whom we had been tracking for some time as they were in touch with Abdulla and other members of the Kasargod module based in Afghanistan. We want to know if similar videos of Hashim were shared with them and if there is any direct link between IS modules from India and the Sri Lanka bombers,” an NIA officer said.

Hashim’s speeches in Tamil were popular with extreme Salafi groups in Kerala. He had been exhorting Muslims to shun ideas such as nationalism, democracy and pluralism as they had no place in Islam.

Hashim wanted Muslims to keep a distance from “non-believers” and not have any emotional bonding with them.

He had elucidated the concept of Al Wala Wal Bara (bonding and exclusion) in his speeches that was the favourite theme of extreme Salafis in Kerala.

Police had registered a case against a Salafi preacher in Kerala for speaking on Al Wala Wal Bara after it was alleged that such hate speeches had contributed to the growth of the IS in Kerala.
shravan
BRF Oldie
Posts: 2206
Joined: 03 Apr 2009 00:08

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by shravan »

Zakir Naik associate arrested for allegedly insulting Hinduism
https://www.themalaysianinsight.com/s/150803
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25085
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by SSridhar »

Baghdadi appears in IS video after 5 years, hails Lanka blasts - ToI
A week after Islamic State owned up to deadly bombings in Sri Lanka that killed over 250 people and injured over 500, the outfit’s elusive chief, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, sprung a surprise by appearing in a video on Monday evening, nearly five years after he was last seen.

In the 18-minute video, released by Al Furqan Foundation, Baghdadi mentions the Sri Lanka blasts apart from the end of the “war” in the Syrian town of Beghuz. This indicates the video was filmed recently as the references are intended to establish that the clip is not an old recording. He is also seen presiding over jihadis from several countries as they take the oath of allegiance to the IS and its chief.

The release of the video is significant as it seems to confirm that Baghdadi is alive and controlling the outfit’s operations.
There had been multiple rumours floating about his death in air strikes. It appears that even after the drastic shrinkage of territory under IS control, the top jihadi continues to operate from his secret location.

The taped message is clearly intended to bolster IS recruits and fighters, and demonstrate the terror group’s capacity to pose a serious security threat to countries across much of the world. In the video, Baghdadi appears to have aged a bit but seems in good health and alert in his address to assembled followers.

Sources in intelligence agencies said the video was credible as it was released by Al Furqan, which is considered to be the core media group of the outfit. Baghdadi, whose real name is Ibrahim Awwad Ibrahim Al Badri, was last seen on video while giving a speech from the Al Nuri mosque in Mosul in 2014. That was his last public appearance as well.

In August last year, Al Furqan had released a 55-minute audio speech purportedly given by Baghdadi in which he asked his followers to keep the fight going in Iraq and Syria. This audio was released after reports indicated that he may have been killed in a Russian air strike in May last year in Syria’s Raqqa.

Foreign intelligence agencies as well as the Indian intelligence network are carefully evaluating Baghdadi’s speech as they say it could have repercussions on global jihad. “This video might act as a booster to the Islamic State which is losing the battle on the ground. The video can be used for radicalisation by splinter and IS-inspired groups in India and abroad,” an intelligence officer said.

The IS took responsibility for the Sri Lanka bombings two days after the attack and released a statement through its mouthpiece Amaq. Four days later, IS published a “special report” on the attacks in the latest issue of its weekly newsletter, Al Naba. The report said the targets were Christians and “Coalition citizens”.


“Every time the crusaders think they have imposed their influence and stolen the abode of Islam, the conquerors appear in another region in a war brought on by the sons of the Khilafah and their leaders. To rival the enemy... frustrate him in every part of the world and drain his energy and capabilities,” the ‘editors’ of the magazine had written.
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25085
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by SSridhar »

NIA arrests Palakkad resident for planning suicide attack in Kerala - ToI
The NIA on Monday arrested Riyas Aboobacker, a resident of Palakkad in Kerala, for being in touch with some members of an Islamic State-inspired module from Kasargod and planning to carry out a suicide attack in the state.

During his questioning by NIA, Aboobacker said he had been following speeches and videos of Sri Lankan bomber Zahran Hashim for more than a year, besides the speeches of Salafi preacher Zakir Naik.

Earlier, the NIA had come across videos of Hashim's jihad-inspiring speeches from computer resources seized during raids at the premises of six accused in the IS Coimbatore module case. The module was allegedly planning to attack Hindu leaders in Tamil Nadu.

Aboobacker's arrest follows raids at his residence in Palakkad as well as of two other suspects in Kasargod. {It looks like that Kasargod, Bhatkal, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli, Keezhakkarai are becoming IS strongholds} The raids followed inputs that a group of four persons had been in contact with IS Kasargod module accused Abdul Rashid Abdulla, Ashfaq Majeed, Abdul Khayoom etc who had migrated to Afghanistan and Syria. Three group members have been interrogated for their IS links and their plans.

During interrogation, Aboobacker disclosed that he had been in online contact with absconding accused Abdul Rashid Abdulla alias Abu Isa for a long time and had been following his audio clips, including the clip which he had circulated on social media instigating others to carry out terror attacks in India. He told his interrogators that he had online chats with Abdul Khayoom alias Abu Khalid, an accused in Valapattanam IS case who was believed to be in Syria. He further said that he had been following speeches/videos of Zahran Hashim and Zakir Naik. He admitted that he wanted to carry out a suicide attack in Kerala.

The IS Kasargod case was registered in July 2016 following the disappearance of 15 youths from Kasargod and their subsequent migration to join the IS (14 persons to Afghanistan and one to Syria).

Aboobacker will be produced before the NIA court in Kochi on Tuesday.
Aditya_V
BRF Oldie
Posts: 14331
Joined: 05 Apr 2006 16:25

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by Aditya_V »

This means it is pretty certain Baghdadi is not in Syria or Iraq, he in Saudi or Pakistan, not risk from Russian or hostile elements
tandav
BRFite
Posts: 722
Joined: 26 Aug 2016 08:24

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by tandav »

Given the proliferation of AI driven deep fake technology that can enable content creators to make video and audio to appear as if the persona in video is real. How much credibility can we keep on such videos.
NRao
BRF Oldie
Posts: 19224
Joined: 01 Jan 1970 05:30
Location: Illini Nation

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by NRao »

Not sure this is appropriate for this thread, could not find another appropriate one.

Hafiz to IAS: How madrassa students are cracking civils
UlanBatori
BRF Oldie
Posts: 14045
Joined: 11 Aug 2016 06:14

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by UlanBatori »

tandav wrote:Given the proliferation of AI driven deep fake technology that can enable content creators to make video and audio to appear as if the persona in video is real. How much credibility can we keep on such videos.
The patriot log here failed to pay attention when UBCN cited an important item. Shame on u.

Go back and look at the "videos" put out by Terroristan showing WCdr AV standing up with a coffee mug in hand and being effusive in praise for the PA. Look carefully and u'll see that there are no cuts/ bruises on his forehead/ left upper side of his face from the bleeding injuries seen in the "capture" video. Magic.

That whole video was either fotoshopped or they brought in an actor and modified his face in the fotoshop. Being Pakis they forgot to put in a slight cut / some tape on his head.

Instead ppl here were all too willing to believe that the WCdr under mild duress started praising the enemy.
tandav
BRFite
Posts: 722
Joined: 26 Aug 2016 08:24

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by tandav »

NRao wrote:Not sure this is appropriate for this thread, could not find another appropriate one.

Hafiz to IAS: How madrassa students are cracking civils
Its important that Temples also get back into teaching. In the past hindu temples imparted instruction to students which encompassed practical, scientific and scriptural subjects... I know many Hindu Temples have educational institutes attached to them but there is no formal hindu scriptural teaching in such institutions unlike in Madarassas such as above where they are exposed to both.
VKumar
BRFite
Posts: 724
Joined: 15 Sep 1999 11:31
Location: Mumbai,India

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by VKumar »

tandav wrote:
NRao wrote:Not sure this is appropriate for this thread, could not find another appropriate one.

Hafiz to IAS: How madrassa students are cracking civils
Its important that Temples also get back into teaching. In the past hindu temples imparted instruction to students which encompassed practical, scientific and scriptural subjects... I know many Hindu Temples have educational institutes attached to them but there is no formal hindu scriptural teaching in such institutions unlike in Madarassas such as above where they are exposed to both.
There was a thread on twitter that Muslims appearing for IAS are scoring far lower in written than Hindus but more than making up in interview.
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25085
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by SSridhar »

Sri Lanka still faces threat of IS terror attacks, says PM Ranil Wickremesinghe - PTI
Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickremesinghe on Tuesday said that authorities have arrested or killed all the terrorists responsible for the deadly Easter blasts, but warned that the country still faces the threat of IS terror attacks. Speaking in Parliament during a debate on the current security situation in the country, Wickremesinghe said all those directly linked to the Easter Sunday attacks were either killed or are in custody.

Nine suicide bombers carried out blasts that tore through three churches and three hotels on the Easter Sunday, killing over 250. IS claimed the attacks. Wickremesinghe said investigations had revealed the bombers had direct or indirect links with IS and the nation needed sophisticated technology to deal with the threat posed by such terror networks. "The danger is not over, we are now a victim of global terrorism," he said. He said that Sri Lanka must work with the international community to face the global threat from terrorism. "Some assume working with the international community means bringing down foreign troops. That will not happen," he said. His comments came as Sri Lankan police and military chiefs assured that the country is now safe and can get back to normalcy.
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25085
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by SSridhar »

ISJK chief’s associate shot dead in Kashmir - Peerzada Asiq, The Hindu
The police on Friday killed a militant, believed to be the brain behind multiple attacks in Srinagar, in Shopian of south Kashmir. The militant was also considered close to Islamic State Jammu and Kashmir (ISJK) chief Zakir Musa.

According to the police, Ishfaq Ahmad Sofi, alias Umar, died in a brief exchange of fire during a cordon and search operation in the Ram Nagri area at Hirpora.

The police said, Sofi, a resident of Model Town-B, Sopore, had been associated with the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM) since 2015.

“Sofi along with his other associates were involved in a series of terror crimes including grenade attacks on a CRPF bunker at Safa Kadal, Soura and a police station at Khanyar. He was also part of groups which had carried out attacks on security establishments in the area,” the police said.

The police said the militant was arrested in 2016 but he went back to militancy in 2018 when he was out on bail. Police sources said Sofi had quit HuM and was among the few remaining associates of ISJK chief Musa.

Meanwhile, a shutdown was observed in parts of Sopore after the militant’s killing. All educational institutions, including colleges and higher secondary schools, were closed in Sopore for the day “as a precautionary measure.” Clashes broke out outside Jamia Masjid after Friday prayers in Srinagar between security forces and a group of local people.
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25085
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by SSridhar »

Islamic State claims 'province' in India for first time after clash in Kashmir - Reuters
Islamic State (IS) has claimed for the first time that it has established a “province” in India, after a clash between militants and security forces in the Kashmir region killed a militant with alleged ties to the group.

IS's Amaq News Agency late on Friday announced the new province, that it called “Wilayah of Hind”, in a statement that also claimed IS inflicted casualties on Indian army soldiers in the town of Amshipora in the Shopian district of Kashmir.

The IS statement corresponds with a police statement on Friday that a militant called Ishfaq Ahmad Sofi was killed in an encounter in Shopian.

IS's statement establishing the new province appears to be designed to bolster its standing after the group was driven from its self-styled “caliphate” in Iraq and Syria in April, where at one point it controlled thousands of miles of territory.

IS has stepped up hit-and-run raids and suicide attacks, including taking responsibility for the Easter Sunday bombing in Sri Lanka that killed at least 253 people.

“The establishment of a 'province' in a region where it has nothing resembling actual governance is absurd, but it should not be written off,” said Rita Katz, director of the SITE Intel Group that tracks Islamic extremists.

“The world may roll its eyes at these developments, but to jihadists in these vulnerable regions, these are significant gestures to help lay the groundwork in rebuilding the map of the IS 'caliphate'.”

Sofi had been involved in several militant groups in Kashmir for more than a decade before pledging allegiance to Islamic State, according to a military official on Saturday and an interview given by Sofi to a Srinagar-based magazine sympathetic to IS. He was suspected of several grenade attacks on security forces in the region, police and military sources said. “It was a clean operation and no collateral damage took place during the exchange of fire,” a police spokesman said in the statement on Friday's encounter. The military official said it was possible that Sofi had been the only militant left in Kashmir associated with IS.
Tuan
BRFite
Posts: 440
Joined: 16 Oct 2008 01:26

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by Tuan »

Sridhar,

Your link for Reuters is redirected to a different article published by the Hindu entitled "Australian warship in Chennai till May 15". So can you please provide the original link for the above article?

Googling doesn't help either.
Tuan
BRFite
Posts: 440
Joined: 16 Oct 2008 01:26

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by Tuan »

Nevermind, I found this link instead.

ISIS claims it has established a new “province” in India
https://qz.com/1617113/isis-claims-it-h ... -in-india/
Last edited by Tuan on 11 May 2019 22:24, edited 1 time in total.
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25085
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by SSridhar »

Tks. Fixed now.
Tuan
BRFite
Posts: 440
Joined: 16 Oct 2008 01:26

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by Tuan »

I see this ISIS's claim that it has established a new “province” in India as a strategic deception in order to evade capture of the big fish Al Bagdadi by the NATO forces, who are on the hunt for him in Iraq and Syria.
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25085
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by SSridhar »

Tuan, nobody, just nobody, is going to be taken in by this laughable claim.
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25085
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by SSridhar »

Three temples, including Batu Caves, on alert after Malaysia foils ISIS threat - Straits Times
Three temples in Kuala Lumpur have tightened security following the arrest of four suspects linked to an extremist religious group said to have ties with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terror group.

The three temples are the Batu Caves Sri Subramaniyar Temple, Sri Maha Mariamman Devasthanam temple on Jalan Tun H.S Lee, and Courthill Sri Ganesha Temple on Jalan Pudu Ulu.


In a statement on Thursday (May 16), Sri Maha Mariamman Temple Devasthanam Kuala Lumpur, which runs the three historic temples, said it was wary after it was reported that one of the reasons cited for the planned attack was to avenge the death of fireman Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim.

"We view the arrests seriously, and their intentions which had been planned, which was to target places of worship as well as entertainment outlets in a supposedly act of revenge on the unfortunate death of the fireman in the Seafield temple incident last year," according to the organisation.

It added that among the steps taken were random checks on bags and monitoring of visitors.

It also urged devotees to keep a watchful eye for suspicious characters.

"We are consistently looking at steps to be taken to elevate security and safety measures at all three temples," it said, adding that the Batu Caves temple alone drew an average of 3,000 tourists a day.

Fireman Adib, 24, was critically injured in the early morning of Nov 27 last year after he and his team members responded to an emergency call at the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Subang Jaya, where a riot had taken place earlier.

Mr Adib was taken to hospital and later transferred to the National Heart Institute for further treatment, but he died on Dec 17.

No one has been charged over the death, and there is an ongoing inquest into the incident.

Mr Adib's death has become a rallying call for some Malaysian Muslims, including those in the Malay-Muslim opposition parties, who feel that his death has not been addressed by the government.
Tuan
BRFite
Posts: 440
Joined: 16 Oct 2008 01:26

Re: The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

Post by Tuan »

Isil branches out into Pakistan as it bids to rebuild collapsed caliphate
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/0 ... caliphate/
Pakistani operations had until this week been attributed to the group's Khorasan Province which encompassed Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of central Asia.

Statements claiming the killing of a Pakistani policeman and a rival Taliban member in separate attacks in Balochistan earlier this week were instead attributed to a new Pakistan Province.

The group has been restructuring its regional operations since last summer, said Tore Hamming, a jihadist specialist at the European University Institute. New regional groups have been also been founded in Turkey, Central Africa and Greater Sahara, he said

However, the new names are “nothing more than a rebranding strategy to counter its demise”, he said.

“I simply see it as a calculated strategy to appear as successful and as an expanding force in the midst of all its territorial loss.”

Setting up more branches was an attempt to boost its credentials in those regions and attract new recruits as well as defections from other militant groups, analysts also believe.

Islamic State group first emerged in Afghanistan and Pakistan in 2015 at the height of the extremists self-styled caliphate in Iraq and Syria. Members of the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban as well as other militant groups defected to swear allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

While the group has taken responsibility for a string of bombings in Pakistan, the country's security forces claim it has no organised presence. Across the border in Afghanistan, it has established a stubborn grip in parts of Kunar and Nangarhar, but has lost territory to the Taliban.
Post Reply