As many as 103 people accused of being Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) sympathisers have been arrested across 14 states by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the central counter terrorism law enforcement agency, and other state security agencies, according to government data.
Uttar Pradesh — India’s most populous state — reported the most (17) arrests, followed by Maharashtra (16), Telangana (16), Kerala (14) and Karnataka (8), said this reply to the Rajya Sabha (upper house of Parliament) by Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, minister of state for ministry of home affairs, on 20 December 2017. These states accounted for 69 percent of all arrests across 14 states.
Very few individuals [from India] have come to the notice of the central and state security agencies who (sic) have joined ISIS.Hansraj Gangaram Ahir
Telangana had most arrests per 1,00,000 Muslim population in the state, followed by Uttarakhand, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
The NIA registered a case against five ISIS sympathisers from Kerala’s Kannur district on 17 December 2017, the Times of India reported on 17 December 2017. The case was registered under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1967.
Indian youth are lured by offering house, meat, chocolates and women by ISIS operatives, India Today reported on 30 May 2017.
Over 100 people from Kerala are suspected to have joined ISIS over the years, Kerala police said, India Today reported on 11 November 2017.
ISIS Responsible For 25 Deaths Every Day in 2016
ISIS is a designated global terrorist organisation that has recruited thousands of foreign fighters with violent extremist ideology inciting terrorist acts.
ISIS was responsible for most attacks (1,133) and deaths (9,114) by any terrorist organisation in 2016, according to the Country Reports On Terrorism 2016 released on July 2017 by the US Department of State.
ISIS was responsible for nearly 25 deaths — including perpetrators — every day worldwide in 2016, up from 17 every day in 2015.
Deaths caused by ISIS increased 48 percent from 6,178 in 2015 to 9,114 in 2016 while persons kidnapped or taken hostage by ISIS increased 74 percent from 4,805 in 2015 to 8,379 in 2016.
Attacks by ISIS outside Syria and Iraq increased 80 percent from 44 in 2015 to 79 in 2016.
This article has been published in an arrangement with IndiaSpend.
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