• Source:JND
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In a major success, Andhra Pradesh Police have busted a suspected terror module, allegedly linked to foreign handlers and extremist organisations like ISIS.

The police investigation has revealed that the network was involved in radicalising youth in India. The revelations came after Andhra Pradesh police sent teams to several states— Bihar, Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Telangana, and Rajasthan— to arrest nearly a dozen suspects in connection with the case, including three from Andhra Pradesh.

According to news agency PTI, the group had links with foreign operatives and was actively spreading jihadist propaganda online.

"A jihadi module with links to foreign handlers and extremist organisations like Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) has been unearthed, which was engaged in radicalising youth in India," an intelligence department official said.

The main accused and his associates allegedly used online propaganda to target youth.

Investigators have identified the main accused, Rahmatullah Sharif, as a key figure in the network. Police said Sharif and his associates were allegedly in contact with operatives involved in spreading jihadist material and indoctrinating youth through online videos. The accused are accused of sharing extremist material and maintaining contact with foreign handlers through social media.

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The group is accused of sharing videos of Osama bin Laden, Israr Ahmed Sheikh, Zakir Naik, and Anwar al-Awlaki. Their goal was to influence Muslim youth toward jihad and extremist ideology. Police also suspect the network was trying to expand its network by recruiting women through a separate "khawateen" (women's) wing.

Links to Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria and Bangladesh

Investigations have revealed that the group had established contact with handlers based in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria and Bangladesh through more than 40 social media accounts.

Agencies believe the network was working to promote "hijrat" (migration) and establish an Islamic state, or "caliphate," in India. Handlers identified as Al-Hakim Shakoor, Mohammad Huzaifa, Ninja, Hemroxy, Abu Muharib, and Abu Baluchi allegedly provided the group with militant training and guidance on the use of weapons, including sniper rifles.

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He also reportedly assured the group that weapons could be provided. Investigators further suspect that some radicalised individuals associated with this module were already receiving jihadist training in madrassas abroad, while efforts were reportedly underway to recruit more people into the network.

According to a PTI report, one of the accused, Saeeda Begum, was allegedly in contact with individuals operating in Pakistan as well as Jammu and Kashmir and was planning to coordinate jihadist activities. The investigation also includes cyber terrorism, IED-making materials, and anti-India material.

(With PTI Inputs)


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