ISIS-module case: NIA conducts raids on three places in Kerala, 3 suspects being questioned

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday carried out searches at three places in Kerala in connection with the ISIS Kasaragod module case. They are suspected to have links with some of the accused who have left India to join terrorist organisation the Islamic State (ISIS/ Daish). The NIA is questioning three suspects in the case.

The searches were conducted in two places in Kasaragod and one in Palakkad.

On Wednesday, the agency busted a suspected ISIS-inspired terror module following searches in Uttar Pradesh and New Delhi, arresting at least 10 people allegedly planning to attack crowded places and political personalities, officials said. The NIA conducted searches across 17 locations in Uttar Pradesh and New Delhi in connection with its probe into the new module called 'Harkat ul Harb e Islam'. 

The module was in touch with foreign handlers, whose identity is yet to be established, NIA inspector General Alok Mittal told reporters.

Mittal said searches were carried out in Delhi's Seelampur locality, UP's Lucknow, Amroha and Hapur districts where a huge quantity of explosives, a country-made rocket launcher, 100 mobiles and 135 SIM cards were recovered. 

"Searches were carried out at 17 locations in Delhi and UP from where 16 suspects were detained and 10 of them were arrested," he said.

"The level of preparation showed they were planning to attacks in near fidayen attacks," Mittal added. 

Five people were picked up from the western Uttar Pradesh district of Amroha following a joint operation with the UP Anti-Terrorist Squad, Inspector General ATS Asim Arun said in Lucknow.

The group was under NIA surveillance for some time following inputs of their suspicious activities, officials said.

The raids came days after reports suggest that intelligence inputs regarding a possible terror attack in Sri Lanka was shared by Indian agencies with their Sri Lankan counterparts earlier this month after the NIA completed its probe into an ISIS-inspired module planning to kill prominent leaders in South India, officials said.

The input was sent through diplomatic channels to the island nation after a through investigation pertaining to the ISIS case in Coimbatore was carried out by the NIA, which has filed a charge sheet against seven people. During investigation, the probe team had stumbled upon videos of National Thowheed Jamaat (NTJ) leader Zahran Hashim, which was indicative of a terror attack on the Indian High Commission in Colombo.

After further investigation which included cyber trailing of some of the accounts associated with the ISIS, the central security agencies shared an input with their Lankan counterparts about the churches being the likely target of the ISIS module, they said. More than 250 people were killed in Sunday's serial blasts at churches and hotels.