Gujarat ATS achieves major success! 4 suspected ISIS terrorists from Sri Lanka arrested at Ahmedabad airport
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Ahmedabad, May 20: In a significant development, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested four suspected ISIS terrorists at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad. The four accused, who were arrested from the airport, were Sri Lankan citizens and terrorists of the Islamic State, according to the reports. Security has been heightened across the airport.
According to primary details, the four flew from Colombo to Chennai and then landed at Ahmedabad airport. ATS sources said that based on intelligence input, the four were apprehended at the airport and are being questioned. They were in touch with Pakistani handlers, according to local media reports.
The arrests were made ahead of the arrival of three IPL teams at the Ahmedabad airport for the qualifier and eliminator games.
In March, two top-rung leaders of ISIS in India were arrested near the international border after they crossed over from Bangladesh. The arrested ISIS cadres were identified as Harish Ajmal Farooqi alias Harish Ajmal Farukhi, a resident of Dehradun in Uttarakhand, and Anurag Singh alias Rehan, a resident of Panipat in Haryana.
⚡️⚡️Gujarat ATS Achieves Major Success: 4 ISIS terrorists arrested at Ahmedabad Airport. All four are Sri Lankan nationals with ties to the Islamic State. Gujarat ATS is currently interrogating them. pic.twitter.com/XJF2s9O8Z6
— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) May 20, 2024
Both individuals were described as highly indoctrinated and motivated leaders of ISIS in India, involved in various activities including recruitment, terror funding, and planning terror acts using improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
"They had furthered the cause of ISIS in India through conspiracies to carry out recruitment, terror funding and terror acts by means of IEDs at several places across India," the police official said.
According to the STF, several cases were registered against these two by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), New Delhi and ATS, Lucknow.
In October last year, Shahnawaz alias Shafi Uzzama, a suspected ISIS terrorist who was on the most wanted list of the NIA, was arrested by the Delhi Police during a major crackdown by the anti-terror agency. Shahnawaz was wanted in the Pune ISIS module case and the NIA had declared a reward money of ₹3 lakh for credible information leading to his arrest.