The ISIS Daishwilayahs in the forests of South India

New Delhi, Sep 17: The National Investigation Agency which is probing several cases relating to the Islamic State. In its latest chargesheet the NIA has spoken about the ISIS trying to set up modules inside the forests in South India.

During the course of the investigations, the NIA learnt that these operatives were in the process of setting up an ISIS Daishwilayah or province inside the jungles of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. When it was unraveled in 2020, the NIA said that this was the first of its kind plot.

The case arose following the arrest of a few persons who had conspired at Salem and Chennai who had fraudulently activated SIM cards by using multiple identity documents of various persons without their knowledge and consent.

The NIA in its chargesheet said that there were 20 members part of this module, which was headed by Mehboob Pasha, a Bengaluru based operative and Khaja Moideen from Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu.

They had planned on visiting Shivanasamudra in Karnataka and identify a place in the jungle where training could be imparted. Before they were busted by the NIA, they had already procured tents, bows, arrows, boots, arms, ammunition, sleeping bags, ropes and ladders. They had also procured a large quantity of firecrackers to extract explosive content and make IEDs, the NIA chargesheet read.

Further the NIA also learnt that they had scouted for similar hideouts in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, Kolar, Kodagu (Karnataka), Burdwan, Siliguri (West Bengal) and Chittor in Andhra Pradesh. They wanted to set up ISIS provinces in these jungles and then launch systematic attacks with the primary intention of killing Hindu leaders, government officials, police officers and political leaders, the NIA said.