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  India   3 NRI men suspected to have joined ISIS

3 NRI men suspected to have joined ISIS

AGE CORRESPONDENT
Published : Jan 6, 2016, 11:55 pm IST
Updated : Jan 6, 2016, 11:55 pm IST

Intelligence agencies suspect that three persons of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh origin, suspected to be from NRI families living in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, have joined ISIS in 2015

Intelligence agencies suspect that three persons of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh origin, suspected to be from NRI families living in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, have joined ISIS in 2015.

A few weeks back, the police had identified a suspect in Visakhapatnam who was trying to pass on information to Pakistani terror handlers and had plans to go to Pakistan. He, however, was not linked to the ISIS, said sources.

While Mohammed Haneef Waseem (27) from Mancherial in Adilabad died in Syria fighting for the ISIS, latest reports state that three people from the Telugu states are still on the battlefield.

Intelligence officials had de-radicalised more than 37 persons in the Telugu states, mostly from Telangana, with the help of religious heads and community groups in 2015.

There were 23 instances of youth getting in touch with IS handlers that were brought to the notice of agencies in both states.

A senior intelligence official of Telangana said, “We don’t know their exact identities. There could be a possibility that they may have gone from UAE and Saudi Arabia as their families might have settled there. United Kingdom too is another important

country where radicalisation of youths has taken place.”ISIS influence is also being felt in Visakhapatnam, Kurnool and Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh apart from Hyderabad and surrounding districts in Telangana.

A top police official of AP said, “Two months ago a suspect was caught in Visakhapatnam while he was passing information to Pakistani handlers. He is not linked to the ISIS. While we de-radicalised him, he was also booked under certain sections of the law. If he is exposed he may turn hardcore.”

Location: India, Andhra Pradesh, Guntur