12 With Links To ISIS, Al-Qaeda Arrested. They Met On Gaming App

12 people with suspected links to banned terrorist outfits like al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have been arrested after a multi-state operation.

Andhra Pradesh's Mohammad Rahmatullah Shareef, Mirza Sohail Beg and Mohammad Danish, Bihar's Shadman Dilkush and Ajmanullah Khan, Lucky Ahmed, a resident of Delhi's Rohini, Mir Asif Ali (West Bengal), Zeeshan (Rajasthan), Abdul Salam (Karnataka), Shah Rukh Khan and Shiyak Piyaz ur Rehman (Maharashtra), and Saida Begum from Telangana were arrested after a joint operation conducted by the police in Andhra Pradesh and Delhi.

They met the foreign handlers of the AQIS and ISIS through a gaming app and later joined them.

Officials said that they had links with "Benex Com", a group associated with ISIS. 

They allegedly replaced the national flag with that of ISIS on their social media posts. They also burnt the national flag, praised ISIS and advocated for transforming India into an Islamic State. They also mocked the national anthem, officials said.

Investigation further revealed that they were planning to travel to Pakistan within a month to take part in training. They were also motivating youth to undergo training in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

3 Accused Watched Osama bin Laden's Videos

Investigation revealed that the three accused, Mohammad Rahmatullah Shareef, Mirza Sohail Beg and Mohammad Danish, all residents of Vijayawada, had formed a group named "Al Malik Islamic Youth" to radicalise youth and prepare them for jihad.

They were allegedly working towards the concept of Ghazwa-e-Hind (war against India) and had expanded their network across several states by coordinating with operatives in different regions, officials said.

They also posted videos projecting themselves as Mujahideen, watched videos of al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden and imitated him while engaging in radical propaganda.

Rahmatullah, a bike taxi driver, along with Danish, a laser marking professional, and Sohail Beg, who works at a restaurant, allegedly expanded jihad-related activities through online platforms.

Rahmatullah developed contacts with a foreign handler identified as Al-Hakeem Shukur through social media and, on his instructions, collaborated with Shadman Dilkush from Bihar and Saida Begum from Hyderabad.

He further established links with Ahmed, Ajmanullah Khan, Mir Asif Ali, Zeeshan, Abdul Salam, Shah Rukh Khan and Shiyak Piyaz ur Rehman.