PORBANDAR/AHMEDABAD – A successful counterterrorism operation by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) led to the arrest of four individuals, including a woman, linked to the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP), a recognised terrorist organisation. The dramatic arrests, conducted under the supervision of IG Deepen Bhadran, revealed a concerning connection to both ISIS and Pakistan.
In a press conference following the operation, Gujarat DGP Vikas Sahay confirmed that all four arrestees were affiliated with ISKP. Sahay disclosed that three of the accused are Indian residents while the fourth is a foreign national, with all of them being active members of the extremist group. A range of banned items was recovered from the individuals upon their arrest.
ATS sources reported that the apprehended youths, who had been radicalised by ISKP, were planning to flee India from the Porbandar seashore in Gujarat. Their intended journey would have taken them to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan through Iran.
The ATS team initiated a surveillance operation at Porbandar railway station on June 9th. Here, three suspicious individuals were identified, subsequently apprehended and interrogated. The detained individuals were Ubed Nasir Mir, Hanan Hayat Shawl, and Mohammad Hazim Shah, all originally from Srinagar. Interrogation revealed that they had been radicalised by a handler named Abu Hamza, leading to their affiliation with ISKP.
Investigation into these three individuals led to the identification of two additional members of the same ISKP module, Zubair Ahmad Munshi and Sumerabanu Mohammad Hanif Malek. A subsequent raid on Malek's residence, conducted by the Gujarat ATS and Surat Crime Branch, yielded crucial information about ISKP.
Sumerabanu Malek is currently undergoing police interrogation. Evidence suggests she had contact with the handler and a close relationship with Zubair Ahmed Munshi. Multiple items were seized from the arrested Kashmiri youths, including personal identification documents, digital communication devices, mobiles, tablets, and knives.
As per the information, their handler, Abu Hamza, instructed the trio to reach Porbandar where they secured laborer jobs on a fishing boat as part of their mission. Their plan involved reaching a GPS coordinate using the boat and its captain, from where they were to be transported to Iran by DHOW. Once there, they were to be given fake passports, and travel to Khorasan via Herat for carrying out terrorist activities on behalf of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (ISKP).
The accused - Ubed Nasir Mir, Hanan Hayat Shawl, Mohammad Hajim Shah, Zubair Munshi, and Sumerabanu - have been charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1967, as investigations continue.
