Terror groups using IS name against India

New Delhi: Terror groups are invoking the name of the Islamic State (IS) as a tool to recruit youths in India.

These youths can be trained in the lawless areas along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border for carrying out terror strikes in India, officials in the security establishment said.

Intelligence agencies have been on the trail of the IS, and recent inputs indicate that the group does not have a presence in India. But, its name is being used as a “proxy” by groups like the Indian Mujahideen (IM) to attract youths who want to be part of the global jihad, the officials told Mail Today.

Officials said this trend is being closely watched as it could be a new ploy adopted by Pakistan-based terror groups that handle organisations like IM.

“Groups like IM and Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) are using the name of IS to attract youths.

"There are inputs that they then want to take them to the area along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, and after training, send them back into India to spread terror,” said a top official in the security establishment who did not want to be named.

Incidents of some youths in different parts of the country supporting the IS was a “worrying sign”, officials said.

“After a series of arrests of IM members, including its top commander in India Yasin Bhatkal, the group took a beating and now they could be using the IS as a platform in a bid to revive the organisation,” a security official said.

The Intelligence Bureau, in a report sent to the Home Ministry, cited the example of two men who were arrested by Tamil Nadu Police for openly supporting the group. The two men, Abdul Rehman and Rilvan, were accused of abetting criminal activity as they distributed t-shirts with an IS logo to garner support for the group.

There have also been incidents of youths in Jammu and Kashmir waving IS flags during protests. The Home Ministry has sought a report from the state government on these incidents.