Gujarat ATS Apprehends Four Sri Lankan ISIS Members At Ahmedabad Airport Just Before Arrival Of Three IPL Teams

The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested four Sri Lankan nationals suspected of being ISIS terrorists at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad according to a report by Hindustan Times.

According to a brief note from the ATS, the four suspects, identified as Sri Lankan citizens and ISIS terrorists, were apprehended at the Ahmedabad airport, as reported by PTI.

Local media, including TV9 Gujarati, stated that the suspects have been taken to an undisclosed location for intensive questioning. The exact reason for their presence at the Ahmedabad airport remains unclear.

The same report suggests that the suspects arrived in Ahmedabad via Chennai from Sri Lanka and were in contact with Pakistani handlers. In response, security at the airport has been significantly increased.

The arrests occurred just before the arrival of three IPL teams at the Ahmedabad Airport for the qualifier and eliminator games.

In a related development in March, two top ISIS leaders in India were arrested near the international border after crossing from Bangladesh.

The suspects, Harish Ajmal Farooqi alias Harish Ajmal Farukhi from Dehradun, Uttarakhand, and Anurag Singh alias Rehan from Panipat, Haryana, were described as highly indoctrinated and motivated leaders of ISIS in India.

They were involved in recruitment, terror funding, and planning terror acts using improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

The two individuals had several cases registered against them by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), New Delhi, and ATS, Lucknow, for their involvement in various terrorist activities.

In October of the previous year, Shahnawaz alias Shafi Uzzama, a suspected ISIS terrorist on the NIA's most wanted list, was arrested by the Delhi Police. Shahnawaz was wanted in the Pune ISIS module case, with a Rs 3 lakh reward offered by the NIA for information leading to his capture.