Major Anti-Terror Operation: NIA Dismantles ISIS Ballari Module’s Plans
New Delhi, December 18, 2023: In a decisive pre-dawn operation, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) successfully dismantled the ISIS Ballari module, arresting eight key operatives, including its leader Minaz, thereby disrupting plans to execute terror acts, particularly involving improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
NIA teams executed simultaneous raids at 19 locations spanning Ballari and Bengaluru in Karnataka; Amaravati, Mumbai, and Pune in Maharashtra; Jamshedpur and Bokaro in Jharkhand; and Delhi. The comprehensive crackdown resulted in the detention of individuals actively promoting terror-related activities for the proscribed organization ISIS.
Operational under the leadership of Minaz, alias Md. Sulaiman, the arrested individuals were found in possession of explosive raw materials, including Sulphur, Potassium Nitrate, Charcoal, Gunpowder, Sugar, and Ethanol. Seized alongside were sharp-edged weapons, unaccounted cash, incriminating documents, smartphones, and other digital devices.
Preliminary investigations reveal the intention of the accused to employ the seized explosive materials for the fabrication of IEDs, intended for use in planned terror acts. Further scrutiny indicates that the individuals, adhering to the path of violent Jihad, Khilafat, and ISIS ideologies, maintained communication through encrypted apps. They specifically targeted college students for recruitment and circulated documents related to the enlistment of Mujahideen for Jihad purposes.
The orchestrated raids mark a significant stride in NIA’s ongoing efforts to dismantle ISIS-inspired modules. The agency had initiated a case against the Ballari module on December 14, 2023, collaborating closely with state and central agencies to track and apprehend its members.
Today’s arrests include Minaj alias Md. Sulaiman and Syed Sameer from Ballari, Anas Iqbal Shaikh from Mumbai, Mohammad Muniruddin, Syid Samiullah alias Sami, Md. Muzammil from Bengaluru, Shayan Rahman alias Hussain from Delhi, and Md. Shahbaz alias Zulfikar alias Guddu from Jamshedpur.
The NIA, in collaboration with Karnataka Police, Maharashtra Police, Jharkhand Police, and Delhi Police, continues its relentless pursuit to dismantle ISIS’s anti-terror conspiracy against India.
