The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested four ISIS suspects at Ahmedabad airport on Monday, as reported by news agency ANI. The individuals were reportedly directed by their Pakistani handlers to execute suicide attacks in the state. The individuals, all Sri Lankan nationals, first arrived in Chennai before travelling to Ahmedabad, as per the media reports. They were waiting for instructions from their Pakistani handlers when they were apprehended.
The terrorists were identified as Mohamed Nusrath, Mohamed Nafram, Mohamed Faris, and Mohamed Rasdeen. Addressing the media, Deputy General of Police Vikas Sahay stated that the four were radicalised by the Islamic State's ideology and only spoke Tamil, with no understanding of Hindi or English.
"We received information that four terrorists were going to reach Ahmedabad on May 18 or 19 either by train or flight... Teams were formed and strategy was created based on the information received... Passenger lists of trains and flights coming from the south were analysed... All four of them were travelling from Chennai to Ahmedabad on the same PNR number through an Indigo flight. Verification was done in Colombo too for confirmation," DGP Sahay said.
Recovered from the suspects were two mobile phones, Indian and Sri Lankan currency, some Pakistani-made weapons, and an Islamic State flag. DSP Sahay revealed that the terrorists had connected with an Islamic State operative nambed Abu in Pakistan, who had instructed them to carry out suicide attacks in Gujarat and provided Rs 4 lakh for bomb-making.
Upon examining their phones, police discovered mentions of several locations near Ahmedabad where the attacks were likely intended to occur.
The arrest follows previous operations by Gujarat ATS and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). In April, they arrested 14 Pakistani nationals off the Gujarat coast and confiscated 86 kilograms of drugs valued at Rs 602 crore. Additionally, the NCB recently dismantled three labs producing the banned drugs mephedrone in Gujarat and Rajasthan, leading to the arrest of seven persons connected to the operation.