Islamic State operatives in Khorasan Province (ISKP), which has claimed twin explosions outside Kabul airport in Afghanistan, have been trying to recruit Indians in recent years. The costume mainly comprises ancient paintings of the forbidden dress based in Pakistan Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), in coordination with the intelligence agencies, has interrupted an Indian module that was in contact with some ISKP agents, as well as some others from Syria, Iraq and Africa, through an Instagram channel called “Chronicle Foundation”.
The channel had more than 5,000 members. Instigated by Pakistan-based recruiters, some members had tried to join the suit in Afghanistan via Iran in April 2019.
Since March, the NIA has conducted searches in Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka and Kerala, leading to the arrest of ten members of the module allegedly run by Mohammed Ameen of Malappuram in Kerala.
Radicalized through posts circulated through social media platforms and messaging apps like Hoop and Telegram, they recruited new members and also raised funds.
Earlier, after ISKP was floated in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, in 2015, more than two dozen Indians had left the country to join the suit.
While initially projected as an affiliate of the Islamic State, counter-terrorism experts now believe that ISKP is a smokescreen created to hide the role of elements within Pakistan in creating a group for strikes aimed at Afghanistan while guaranteeing denial. With the same goal, an attempt was made to string the Indians together and highlight their participation.
ISKP had claimed responsibility for the attack on a gurdwara in Kabul on March 25, 2020, allegedly carried out by a module led by India. The person, identified as Mohammed Muhasin, originally from Kerala, was killed by Afghan forces during the attack.
The UN Security Council, in its June report, stated that the ISKP continued to pose a threat to Afghanistan and the region at large. However, last year it had suffered losses in Kunar and Nangarhar provinces and this affected its ability to recruit and generate new funding. “This also raises doubts about its operational capability in Kabul,” an official said.
A counter-terrorism expert noted that the team’s former chief, Aslam Farooqi, alias Abdullah Orokzai, is a Pakistani citizen. He was captured by Afghan forces in April 2020 in connection with the gurudwara attack. During interrogation, he confessed to his links to the LeT.
The same month, another key ISKP commander named Munib Mohammed was arrested. He also turned out to be a Pakistani national who had links to the LeT and the Haqqani network.
“What was the immediate consequence of the two explosions outside Kabul airport in which more than 100 people were killed? Hours later, all non-operational areas of the airport were taken by Taliban guards.” said a security agency official.