4 suspected IS terrorists arrested at Ahmedabad airport
What's the story
The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has detained four people suspected of being terrorists linked to the Islamic State at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad. All the suspects are Sri Lankan nationals. They were apprehended and taken to an undisclosed location for intensive questioning. In response to the arrests, security measures at the Ahmedabad airport have been strengthened. Notably, this came just ahead of the arrival of three Indian Premier League (IPL) teams for qualifier and eliminator games.
Prior incidents
Previous arrests of top-tier ISIS leaders in India
Earlier in March, two top-tier leaders of Islamic State in India were arrested near the international border after crossing over from Bangladesh. The accused, identified as Harish Ajmal Farooqi and Anurag Singh, were involved in various activities including recruitment, terror funding, and planning terror acts using improvised explosive devices (IEDs). According to police officials, Farooqi and Singh were highly indoctrinated and motivated leaders of IS in India.
October 2023
Suspected IS terrorist arrested in Delhi
In October last year, Shahnawaz alias Shafi Uzzama, a suspected IS terrorist who was on the most wanted list of the National Investigation Agency, was arrested by the Delhi Police during a major crackdown by the anti-terror agency. Shahnawaz was wanted in the Pune IS module case and the NIA had declared a reward money of ₹3 lakh for credible information leading to his arrest.