Syria is the stronghold of the ISIS. Zakir Naik, prime accused in carrying out several anti-national activities, has been living in Malaysia for many years after fleeing India.
The intentions of the three ISIS-backed terrorists caught by the Special Cell of Delhi Police on Thursday were extremely dangerous.
"Police teams of different states including Karnataka, Kerala, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Jammu and Kashmir, Telangana are interrogating the three militants arrested by the Special Cell of Delhi Police. The interrogation is underway in the presence of officers of R&AW and IB," a team member of Delhi Police Special Cell, who arrested the three terrorists during an encounter in northeast Delhi's Wazirabad, told on Saturday.
To nab the militants, five to six teams of Delhi Police Special Cell under Deputy Commissioner Pramod Kumar Singh Kushwaha were formed.
The teams had been looking for the terrorists in Tamil Nadu and the Nepal-India border for the last few months. They also traced the calls of these terrorists many times.
The well-trained terrorists did not stay in any city for more than two-three days, said sources.
Sources said that the conversations about "Zakir Naik" and "Syria" alarmed the Delhi Police Special Cell teams. They arrested the IS terrorists in Wazirabad on Thursday.
"Under influence of Zakir Naik, one of the arrested terrorists even shaved off his beard. They were planning a major terror attack in India to impress IS," a member of the police team told on the condition of anonymity on Friday.
The three suspects, identified as Khaja Moideen (52), Syed Ali Navas (32), and Abdul Samad (28), are also accused in the murder of KP Suresh Kumar, a Hindu leader. After being released on bail, they had fled in mysterious circumstances and wanted to get in touch with Zakir Naik and IS leaders.
( With inputs from IANS )