Until midnight, UP ATS operations were still on. (Vishal Srivastav)
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Wednesday that ISIS operatives were behind the Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train explosion. The statement comes as a shocker and raises massive safety alarms. Intelligence agencies have been on a constant lookout to neutralise ISIS modules across India and have had success to great degree. But, the blast incident shows that despite the best efforts, ISIS is managing to orchestrate attacks.
UP Police named four people from Kanpur and Lucknow who are reportedly believed to be connected to the train blast. The Indian Express reported that the four were under surveillance of intelligence agencies on suspicion that they were attempting to set up an Islamic State-inspired jihadist cell. The report said that the four had downloaded jihadi material from the Internet and had made contact with pro-ISIS Facebook accounts.
Arms, ammunition and other items recovered after suspected ISIS terrorist Saifullah was killed in a 12-hour long operation by an ATS team on the outskirts of Lucknow on Wednesday. PTI
The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror Squad also eliminated a man suspected to be an ISIS terrorist in Lucknow on Wednesday after a 12-hour engagement. The man was identified as Mohammad Saifullah alias Ali, and is a resident of Kanpur. ATS IG Assem Arun told reporters that Ali was part of the ISIS Khorasan module. Three more were apprehended from Kanpur and two more were being tracked.
The police claim that it found ISIS flags, train time-tables, arms and ammunition from the Saifullah’s house.
What is ISIS Khorasan module?
ISIS Khorasan module is also called Khorasan group. The group was formed by senior al-Qaeda operatives operating in ISIS-controlled Syria. It is believed that Khorasan group has small number of fighters as members. It is also believed that they are fighting with al-Nusra Front which is the official affiliate of al-Qaeda in Syria. Its leaders are based in Bawabiyah, Aleppo and the group’s primary area of operation is northwestern Syria though it has been recruiting heavily in other countries, including India and Pakistan.
ISIS fighter (representational Image).
Many reports have suggested that the Khorasan module or the Khorasan group has become more extreme and radical than ISIS. It was formed in 2012. The group has also claimed responsibility for the attack on Lal Shahbaz Qalandar’s shrine in Pakistan that killed 75 people.
Some scholars say that Khorasan holds a historical/mythical connotation for ISIS followers who believe in a prophecy that before the world comes to an end, black flags will fly on the Khorasan (region). Khorasan region falls in parts of Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
Many reports suggest that a huge number of Pakistanis and a sizeable section of Taliban members have joined ISIS and formed Khorasan Shura. Khorasan Shura means Khorasan Advisory.
file photo of ISIS flag (Representational image)
If reports are to be believed, a minimum of 21 Kerala youths joined ISIS. Most of them are believed to have joined the Khorasan module. The group’s ideology is based upon Wahhabism and it is a Salafist terrorist group.
Mohammed Islambouli is the leader of ISIS Khorasani group right now. Sanafi al-Nasr, Mushsin al-Fadhli, Abu Khayr al-Masri are next in command. It is said some of them had served under Osama Bin Laden.
