22 August 2017 10:13 am
The Islamic State today claimed that an Indian suicide bomber killed a "number" of people in an attack in Raqqa, Syria, the de-facto capital of the terror group.
In a statement in Arabic via its Amaq propaganda agency, the IS identified the Indian bomber as Abu Yusuf al- Hindi, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, a US-based monitoring firm.
The terror group claimed killing and wounding a "number" of what it described as "Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) apostates" in the suicide attack involving the Indian bomber.
However, there was no confirmation about the IS claim by Indian agencies.
Al-Hindi was the fugitive chief recruiter for the IS in the Indian subcontinent and was known as Mohammed Shafi Armar. He had many aliases like "Chhote Maula" and "Anjan Bhai".
The 30-year-old was named as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" by the US in June, becoming the first Indian leader of the outfit against whom America has imposed sanctions. An Interpol Red Corner notice was also pending against the bomber.
Al-Hindi, a native of Bhatkal in Karnataka, was a leader and head recruiter in India for the Foreign Terrorist Organisation and Specially Designated Global Terrorist group,according to the US state department.
While announcing sanctions, it had said that he cultivated a group of IS sympathisers who are involved in terrorist activities across India, such as plotting attacks, procuring weapons and identifying locations for terrorist training camps.
He had escaped to Pakistan along with his elder brother after crackdown on Indian Mujahideen cadres.
There have been many reports of him having been dead in a drone attack or crackdown by the allied forces.
However, every time intelligence agencies began giving credence to such reports, his name or voice cropped up in intercepts.
Tech savvy al-Hindi has been operating on Facebook and other personal messenger services to contact, brainwash and recruit young men from India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. His links to the IS were also the highlight of the interrogation of Yasin Bhatkal, who was arrested near the Nepal border in 2013.
The Hezbollah used drones to strike the IS in Syria close to the border with Lebanon, a military media unit it runs said on Monday.