Indian Police Arrest Six People Over Alleged Daesh Ties

NEW DELHI (Sputnik) – Indian police arrested six residents of the Kerala and Tamil Nadu states on suspicion of links with Daesh (banned in Russia) and of plotting terrorist attacks, local media reported Monday, citing a source in the Indian National Investigation Agency (NIA).

“Credible information was received that some youth from Kerala and Tamil Nadu along with their accomplices have entered into a criminal conspiracy to commit terrorist acts by collecting explosives and other offensive material for targeting important persons and places of public importance in various parts of south lndia,” a senior NIA officer said, as quoted by the Times of India newspaper.

The arrest of the six suspected Daesh operatives took place during searches carried out Sunday in the districts of Kozikhode and Kannur in Kerala, the paper reported. According to the paper, the suspects were under surveillance by NIA teams along with Kerala Police, Delhi Police and Telangana Police after the police received some information linking them to Daesh.

India enhanced its efforts in fighting terrorism in light of a deadly July terrorist attack on a cafe located in a diplomatic quarter of the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka. A total of 22 people had been killed by the hostage takers before the Bangladeshi security forces began their operation to free hostages.