As Islamic State looks to take PFI’s space, NIA raids 60 locations in Karnataka, TN, Kerala

The Islamic State has been making attempts to reach out to the cadres of the now banned Popular Front of India. It is looking to occupy the space of the PFI, Intelligence Bureau officials tells OneIndia

The National Investigation Agency coducted raids and searches at 60 locations across three southern states on Wednesday.

Raids were conducted in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The raids are in connection with the blasts that took place at Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu and Mangaluru, Karnataka.

While in the Coimbatore blasts, the bomber died, in Mangaluru, the accused has been arrested. Both bombs were the handiwork of an Islamic State driven module and were similar in nature. The target of the attacks were Hindus and Hindu Temples, the preliminary probe had shown.

The NIA has been carrying out searches across the southern states, where the Islamic State is active. Since the ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI), there have been Intelligence Bureau reports about the Islamic State trying to occupy that space.

Last week the agency conducted raids in Bengaluru, Karnataka and Palghar, Maharashtra.

Sources tell OneIndia that there has been an uptick in the activity of the Islamic State, especially in the southern states. The ideology has spread like wild-fire and the NIA has found that there are many sympathisers in these states.

Additionally the NIA has also been conducting raids in Bihar where it has busted many Islamic State modules.

The Islamic State in a recent article in its mouthpiece, 'Voice of Khorasan,' had come out in support of the now banned PFI. It urged the members of the PFI who are now underground to join the Islamic State. In the article, "Crackdown on Popular Front of India: Lessons for Indian Muslims, the Islamic State criticised the ban on the PFI. The actions against the PFI are aimed at harassing Indian Muslims, the article also read.

Since the ban on the PFI, the NIA has arrested over 100 of its operatives. The ongoing raids are to ensure that the Islamic State does not emerge in another avatar of the PFI. The problematic states according to the source cited above are Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Bihar.

The source also added that the Islamic State and the PFI which have similar ideologies have been working on a plan to make India an Islamic State by 2047. It was also learnt that the PFI had been looking to bring the Muslims of Lakshadweep and Kashmir together. They wanted to brainwash the Muslims in the two Union Territories and bring them together in a bid to achieve their cause. Further it is also learnt that the Islamic State in Jammu and Kashmir known as the ISJK has been reaching out to the PFI members and urging them to join the battle.

During the raids it was found that the members of the Islamic State and PFI were adept with bomb making and use of weapons. The documents seized also revealed that the Islamic State was in the process of carrying out a series of lone wolf attacks across the country.