2 hrs ago
Intelligence Agencies Warn of Independent Islamic State Modules Across India
Indian officials say some former members of a banned group called the Students Islamic Movement of India have become active again.
They are allegedly supporting the Islamic State, a militant organisation.
Officials say these people create small groups that work independently.
Because the groups do not regularly communicate with one another, authorities say they are difficult to detect.
Some alleged leaders call themselves emirs and try to recruit young people.
They also promote the idea of creating an Islamic State in India.
One example mentioned is Mohammad Saquib Abdul Hamid Nachan in Maharashtra.
Officials say he allegedly recruited more than 30 youths from several states.
Authorities describe the development as a nationwide security challenge.
Indian intelligence agencies say former Students Islamic Movement of India members are resurfacing to establish independent Islamic State modules.
Officials say the modules operate separately and lack organisational links, making them difficult to track.
Such modules have reportedly been identified in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Authorities say former operatives have remained low-profile before assuming leadership roles, recruiting youths and promoting an Islamic State.
Mohammad Saquib Abdul Hamid Nachan allegedly recruited more than 30 youths across several states after declaring himself an Islamic State emir.
- Who
- Indian intelligence agencies, former Students Islamic Movement of India operatives and alleged Islamic State recruiters.
- What
- Authorities say former operatives are resurfacing and creating independent Islamic State modules across India.
- Where
- Modules have been found in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, with alleged recruitment extending to Karnataka and Delhi.
- When
- The activity has been identified in recent years, after some individuals had remained low-profile for several years.
- Why
- Officials say the individuals are recruiting people, promoting the Islamic State’s ideology and seeking to establish an Islamic State in India.
Key facts
- Groups mentioned
- Students Islamic Movement of India, Indian Mujahideen, Islamic State and Popular Front of India
- Reported locations
- Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra
- Organisational pattern
- Modules reportedly operate independently and are not interlinked
- Alleged recruitment
- Mohammad Saquib Abdul Hamid Nachan allegedly recruited more than 30 youths
- Recruitment reach
- The alleged recruits came from Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra
- SIMI ban
- The Students Islamic Movement of India was banned in 2001
- PFI ban
- The Popular Front of India was banned by the Central government in September 2022
Quotes
An Intelligence Bureau official
Unnamed Intelligence Bureau official discussing the modules' structure and surveillance challenges
“Such individuals deliberately keep a low profile and avoid coming under the radar of security agencies. However, they continue to operate quietly in the background, carrying out recruitments and propagating the ideology of the Islamic State. It is an operation that runs largely on autopilot and poses a threat to national stability.”
thehansindia.com
“They run their operations individually and do not mix operations with other former members. This has created a major problem for the Indian agencies as none of these modules are structured and inter-linked. This makes it hard to track such persons as there is no proper organisational structure.”
thehansindia.com









