17 cases related to IS presence in Southern States, most active in Kerala, K'taka: Centre

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered 17 cases related to the presence of the Islamic State terror group in the Southern States of Telangana, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu and arrested 122 accused persons, the government has informed Rajya Sabha.

In a written reply to an unstarred question, Minister of State for Home Affairs, G. Kishan Reddy, noted some instances of individuals from different States, including the Southern States, having joined Islamic State (IS) have come to the notice of Central and State security agencies. 

ISIS and its South Asia affiliate – Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP) – and all its manifestations have been notified as terrorist organizations and included in the First Schedule to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967, by the Central Government. 

"IS is using various internet-based social media platforms to propagate its ideology. Cyberspace is being closely watched in this regard by the agencies concerned and action is taken as per law," Reddy said in his response.

Moreover, investigations by the NIA have revealed that the IS is most active in Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir.

Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) had lost almost all its territories in Syria and Iraq by March 2019. In October that year, US President Donald Trump announced that the group's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead. Nevertheless, the group continues to mount attacks on Western targets through 'lone wolf' tactics and is active in Afghanistan and some parts of Africa.

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Terror incidents in Kashmir down

On Tuesday, the Union Home Ministry had revealed that terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir fell by over half after the abrogation of Article 370 and the subsequent reorganization of the erstwhile state. Only 211 terror incidents had taken place in the 402 days since August 5, 2019, as against 455 terror attacks in the 402 days prior to that date.

"No major terror attack took place in the hinterland of the country during the period from 05.08.2019 to 09.09.2020," G. Kishan Reddy said.

"The Government has adopted a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism and has taken various measures, such as strengthening of security apparatus, strict enforcement of law against anti-national elements, intensified cordon and search operations to effectively deal with the challenges posed by the terrorist organisations. Security Forces keep a close watch on persons who attempt to provide support to terrorists and initiate action against them," he added.

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