Investigative agencies have busted two separate ISIS modules operating across India within a week. The groups were allegedly plotting targeted killings and attacks on religious places. Officials say both networks were working on the “Khilafat model” and “Ghazwa-e-Hind” agenda, with evidence linking them to Pakistani terrorists.

The “Khilafat” model refers to occupying a place and then carrying out “jihad”.

The Delhi Police Special Cell led the first breakthrough with raids across Jharkhand, Telangana, Bengaluru, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh.

Five men were arrested: Ashar Danish, Aftab Qureshi, Sufian Abubakar Khan, Mohammad Huzaif Yaman, and Kamran Kamran Qureshi.

Police recovered a large amount of weapons and chemical bomb-making materials. Sources said the accused were planning attacks on religious sites and targeted killings.

The second group was linked to Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) raided 16 locations across eight states – Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, and Delhi.

Officials seized digital devices, documents, and more chemical bomb-making materials. According to investigators, two suspects, Siraj and Sameer, used Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, Signal, and other social media apps to incite young people.

A Pakistani handler reportedly shared radical videos in these groups. Both suspects were arrested in Vizianagaram.

The first accused in this case, Arif Hussain alias Abu Talib, had already been arrested on August 27 while attempting to flee to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Investigators say he and his associates were plotting to supply weapons through the Nepal border.

How these modules operated

Investigators revealed that Pakistani handlers targeted Indian youngsters through encrypted apps like Signal. They spread the message that Muslims were being oppressed in India and warned that staying silent would lead to doom.

Radical videos were first shared in groups. Then, handlers approached interested members privately through one-on-one chats to push them further into extremist thinking.

According to investigators, the speeches of four prominent figures are used to influence and prepare young people for jihad:

  • Masood Azhar – Leader of Jaish-e-Mohammed

  • Tariq Masood – Pakistani Deobandi scholar and preacher

  • Tariq Jameel – Pakistani cleric and member of Tablighi Jamaat

  • Zakir Naik – Indian Islamic preacher and president of the Islamic Research Foundation

Officials say these voices are repeatedly used to fuel extremist thoughts and recruit young Indians into terror activities.