World has witnessed many terror outfits born out of conflict zones and getting decimated but Islamic State of Iraq and Levant has made an unprecedented impact across the globe. After creating mayhem in West Asia (Syria, Iraq) , the outfit hit multiple targets in Europe. The group has now finally spread its tentacle in India. Such is its presence that the group has forced even Al-Qaeda into oblivion that carried the biggest terror attack(9/11) in the world. Notorious for its effective use of social media, the group has succeeded in recruiting fighters , provoking them to carry lone wolf attacks and to kill whom they call ‘non-believers’. to South Asia in Afghanistan, Pakistan.
The blast in Ujjain-Bhopal passenger train on Tuesday, followed by police encounter of ISIS suspect Saifullah have sent the security agencies into a tizzy. The train blast could just be a teaser and the larger designs of the terror operators may have not been deciphered by the intelligence agencies.
The slain terror suspect belongs to the Khurasan module of the ISIS and was an active member. But, whether he has been indoctrinated or not is a matter of investigation, according to Police. The recoveries included an ISIS flag, eight pistols, 650 rounds of ammunition, 50 fired rounds, 1.5 kg gun power, explosives, gold, cash, passports, SIM cards and a train time table. The other materials seized included wires, different cords and newspapers.
Police also said that that militants behind the train blast also sent the photographs to their handlers sitting in Syria. Since the same terror outfit has wreaked havoc in Pakistan (Shahbaaz Kalandar shrine) and Bangladesh (Dhaka attack), Intelligence agencies were up on their feet trying to avert terror attack on Indian soil.
Khorasan
The ‘Khorasan’ module of ISIS is conjuring up memories of the early Islamic Caliphate in Iran, Afghanistan and India. The group believes in the ideology of Salafist jihadism and Wahhabism. The group is formed by senior Al-Qaeda operatives operating in ISIS-controlled Syria. It is also believed that they are fighting with al-Nusra Front which is the official affiliate of Al-Qaeda in Syria.
India found a mention by ISIS handlers in January last year. In an ‘interview’ to the group’s English-language propaganda magazine Dabiq, Hafiz Saeed Khan, the ‘wali’ (governor) of ISIS Khorasan, stated that the group considered Kashmir a fertile area for expansion, even as he accused Pakistan of being fickle in supporting the Kashmiri struggle. Khan was killed in a drone attack in July.
