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The arrest of four top ISIS operatives has on Wednesday confirmed the group’s presence in India for the first time, transforming what was till now a concern into an actual security threat.
Delhi police announced that four ISIS operatives, aged 19-23, were in touch with their handlers in Syria and Iraq and were planning a terrorist attack ahead of Republic Day at prominent places across the country.
For the first times as well intel agencies were able to get the specific inputs claiming that the group was planning to attack Ardh Kumbh in Haridwar and prominent shopping malls of Delhi-NCR like Select Citywalk, Saket; DLF Promenade, Vasant Kunj and the Great India Place in Noida.
Delhi police sources said that the arrested ISIS members were close to preparing IEDs and procuring weapons on the instruction of handlers who they were in touch with over VOIP, WhatsApp and Facebook.
Among the four arrested, Akhlaq ur Rehman is a third-year engineering student at a polytechnic college in Roorkee area and was picked up by cops just as he was to enter his college to write an exam. Mohammed Osama and Ajiz are doing BA from a local college while Mehraj is pursuing a bachelors in Ayurvedic medicine
Delhi police added that, during the initial interrogation, the accused have confessed to have been focusing more on the Ardh Kumbh as a blast there would have led to a stampede, causing maximum casualties.
The group have also confessed about attacks on three top Delhi-NCR Malls keeping in view the maximum footfall these shopping malls have, which will create chaos and threat among the shoppers.