ISIS operative Shehnawaz, who was nabbed by the Delhi Police, has revealed to investigators that he carried out test blasts at five locations across India — Nuh, Mewat, Delhi, Lucknow and Rudraprayag — to launch a “26/11-like terror attack” but was busted before his team could execute their sinister plan.
Shehnawaz said he recced 15 premises of Hindu-affiliated organisations, including RSS, in Ahmedabad, Surat and Baroda, admitting to the investigators that he wanted to attack Right-wing establishments and leaders, top Intel sources told CNN-News18.
The ISIS operative hails from Delhi and did his engineering from NIT Nagpur. He was a frequent visitor to the Capital and his father is a teacher in Hazaribagh.
Shehnawaz regularly attended Dars and slowly got radicalised. It was during this time that he met Rizwan.
In 2019-20, he started learning how to make IEDs and got in touch with a foreign handler. The handler helped both Rizwan and Shehnawaz learn IED-making with the help of online classes.
Sources said the duo, apart from carrying out trial runs of explosives, began finding out hideouts and targets. The handler then asked Shehnawaz to move to Pune where two people arrested from Chittorgarh were stationed.
Both groups stayed in different places in Chittorgarh but met regularly. They were regulars in learning IED and explosive making. However, when the group got busted in Pune, the duo ran away to Delhi.
According to sources, Shehnawaz was the common link between the Delhi and Pune module of the ISIS.
“Shehnawaz is a hardened terrorist. Over the past few months, he had conducted recces across north India. His task was finding locations to set up training camps in India. The recruitment was supposed to be done by his handlers,” said sources.
He had also conducted several recces to locations that were to be attacked during this festive season, said sources. He was trained to make improvised explosive devices (IED) and was an expert. Incriminating documents, along with chemicals (liquid) used to make IEDs, were recovered from his house.
Irked by “atrocities against Muslims”, the group believed that “Kafirs must not be spared”. They were also in touch with Indian Mujahideen and wanted to kill Hindu leaders and Jews in public places.
It is possible that Pakistan-based handlers were behind the group but that thread is still being explored.
Probe into the Pune ISIS case has also revealed to CNN-News18 that the case is a mix of SIMI-Indian Mujahideen and ISIS where terror outfits of the past — Indian Mujahideen and SIMI — have joined ISIS cadres.
As per the agencies, there are direct links emerging between Hazaribagh, UP, and Maharashtra and Shehnawaz is the most important link in the entire terror game plan so far.
The sources said if the lid wasn’t blown off the terror conspiracy, the merged groups could have inflicted damage. This is because they are all hard-core terrorists trained in IT, cyber warfare, and making explosives and IEDs.
Second, ideological differences between all terror outfits have merged and they have decided to start work again.
Third, the important part of the entire investigation is the role of the foreign handler sitting in Iraq or Syria. Fourth is the funding which is coming at different times and is ISIS-style.
Sources said it is clear that all terror groups are regrouping themselves under one umbrella.
PUNE MODULE REVELATION
Sources said the ISIS Pune module wanted to carry out a much bigger attack than 26/11, as revealed during the interrogation, and sought to target areas that would not only kill more people in numbers but also make for optics.
The locations they recced in Mumbai include Chabad House, and Naval Helipad near Colaba slum area. They wanted to attack major temples in Mumbai where the footfall is very high as well as hydraulic projects which are important for the development and growth of the country.
Data on their laptop also suggests they have researched VIP movement.
Intelligence sources say this is a great catch in terms of arrest because they were at a very initial stage and arrested at the right time.
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