Nearly 150 youths in the country are under the surveillance of security agencies for their alleged leanings towards the Islamic State (IS), responsible for the recent terror attacks in Paris.
According to a report of the intelligence agencies, the 150 people, mostly from South India, are believed to be attracted to the IS and sympathetic to the group’s activities.
“Most of them are in regular contact with some IS activists through online means. Hence, we have kept all of them under the surveillance of security forces,” a senior government official said.
So far, 23 Indians have gone to Iraq-Syria to fight for the terrorist group. Of them, six were killed while one returned home in Mumbai.
Thirty other Indians, who were radicalised by IS elements, were prevented from travelling to the conflict zone.
Among those who are currently fighting for the IS include two youths from Kalyan on the outskirts of Mumbai, an Australia-based Kashmiri, one youth from Telangana, one from Karnataka, one Oman-based Indian and another Singapore-based Indian.
Among the six Indians who fought alongside the IS and got killed were three Indian Mujahideen terrorists, including Sultan Ajmer Shah and Bada Sajid, who had joined its ranks after being in Pakistan, two from Maharashtra and one from Telangana.
On September 15, the UAE deported four Indians suspected to have links with the IS.
The UAE had also sent back in September a 37-year-old woman, Afsha Jabeen alias Nicky Joseph, who was allegedly involved in recruiting youths for the IS. In January, Salman Mohiuddin of Hyderabad was arrested at Hyderabad airport when he was preparing to board a flight to Dubai on way to Syria via Turkey.
