15 Isis terrorists arrested: Accused had ‘declared’ Maharashtra village ‘liberated zone’, says NIA | India News

NEW DELHI: In its continuing crackdown on the Isis terrorist network, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) made significant strides on Saturday by apprehending 15 terrorists in a series of raids across Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Among those arrested is the leader of an active Isis module, responsible for administering the ‘bayath’ (oath of allegiance) to newly recruited members, said a spokesperson from the federal anti-terror agency.
In the early hours of Saturday, NIA teams conducted simultaneous operations at 44 locations in Padgha-Borivali, Thane, Mira Road, and Pune in Maharashtra, as well as in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
The objective was to apprehend 15 individuals accused of promoting terrorism and engaging in activities related to the banned organisation.
The NIA seized significant amounts of unaccounted cash, firearms, sharp-edged weapons, incriminating documents, smartphones, and other digital devices during these raids.
These actions were part of the NIA’s ongoing efforts to disrupt and thwart the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (Isis), also known as the Islamic State, from carrying out violent acts of terror and endangering innocent lives.
An official spokesperson said the arrested individuals, members of the Isis Maharashtra module, were actively involved in various terrorist activities, including the fabrication of improvised explosive devices.
They operated under the guidance of foreign handlers, aiming to further the violent and destructive agenda of ISIS.
Village was declared ‘liberated zone’
Investigations revealed that the accused had planned and coordinated their activities from Padgha-Borivali, where they conspired to spread terror and execute acts of violence across India.
Motivated by the ideologies of violent jihad, Khilafat, and Isis, the individuals sought to disturb the peace and communal harmony of the country.

The spokesperson disclosed that the arrested accused had self-declared the village of Padgha in rural Thane as a “liberated zone” and as “Al-Sham”.
They encouraged vulnerable Muslim youths to relocate to Padgha for strengthening the base.
The main accused, Saqib Nachan, administered the ‘bayath’ (oath of allegiance to the Khalifa of Isis) to those joining the banned organisation.

The Isis has been expanding its terror network in India by establishing localised modules and cells in various states.
The NIA had previously registered a case against the Isis Maharashtra module and has since taken robust actions to dismantle different Isis modules and networks operating throughout the country.
Large-scale raids have been conducted in recent months, resulting in the arrest of numerous terror operatives associated with the Isis terror conspiracy, aiming to thwart the organisation’s violent anti-India agenda.