ISIS Kerala Module Case: NIA Conducts Search in Srinagar, Kashmir

The NIA conducted the search operation in the house of Mohammed Ameent, who is suspected to have been part of the conspiracy of running various ISIS propaganda channels on different social media platforms.

SRINAGAR: A team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) raided a residential house in Jammu and Kashmir’s summer capital Srinagar in the wee hours of Monday in the downtown area of Karfali Mohalla Habbakadal in connection with the Kerala ISIS module case registered with the central agency.

In a handout, the NIA said, "In 2021, the National Investigation Agency had started investigations into Mohammed Ameen @ Abu Yahya* r/o Kadannamanna, Distt. Mallapuram (Kerala), who had been running various ISIS propaganda channels on different social media platforms, such as Telegram, Hoop and Instagram. Through these channels, he was propagating violent Jihadi ideologies of ISIS and was radicalizing and recruiting new members to this ISIS module. He and his associates had even identified certain individuals for targeted killings. They had also made plans to undertake Hijrah to Jammu & Kashmir for engaging in terrorist acts and had raised funds from various sources for this trip.”

During the probe, it was found that Mohammad Ameen was in touch with Deepthi Marla of Kerala, a converted Muslim, married to Anas Abdul Rahiman of Mangalore, the agency said.

In 2015, she had gone to Dubai to pursue studies where she met Mizha Siddeeque and both women developed an inclination towards ISIS. In 2019, they tried to do Hijrah to Khorasan and reached Tehran, Iran. After reaching Tehran, their contact with ISIS operatives based in Khorasan could not be established.

They both returned to India, and Deepthi got in touch with Ameen, Obaid Hamid Matta, Madesh Shankar alias Abdullah and others and made plans to undertake Hijrah to ISIS administered territory. In January 2020, she went to Srinagar in January 2020 to meet Obaid to plan the Hijrah and stayed in Srinagar for one week.

One of the common contacts between Deepthi and Obaid, Uzair Azhar Bhat, who is suspected to have been part of the conspiracy, was raided today (13.03.2023). NIA conducted search at Bhat’s house in Karfali Mohalla, Srinagar (Jammu & Kashmir). Seized digital devices are being examined and further investigations are in progress, the NIA handout read.