IS operative from India named global terrorist

THREAT TO WORLD SECURITY For the first time, US authorities take action against an Indian member of terror group — a native of Karnataka — who recruited dozens of sympathisers He has cultivated a group of dozens of ISIS sympathisers who are involved in terrorist activities across India, such as plotting attacks, procuring weapons, and identifying locations for terrorist training camps

The US on Thursday declared Karnataka-born Islamic State operative Mohammad Shafi Armar and two others as Specially Designated Global Terrorists and imposed financial sanctions against them, the first time that American officials have taken such action against an Indian member of the group.

The state department’s action against Armar, Oussama Ahmad Atar and Mohammed Isa Yousif Saqar Al Binali imposed sanctions on them as they posed a “significant risk of committing” acts of terrorism that threaten US national security.

The state department’s move coincided with the US treasury department putting the three IS operatives on the Office of Foreign Assets Control’s list of “Specially Designated Nationals”, whereby their assets were blocked and American nationals prohibited from dealing with them. The state department described Armar as a “leader and head recruiter in India for the Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist group, ISIS”.

“He has cultivated a group of dozens of ISIS sympathisers who are involved in terrorist activities across India, such as plotting attacks, procuring weapons, and identifying locations for terrorist training camps,” said a statement from the state department.

Armar, a resident of Bhatkal in Karnataka, was earlier a member of the banned Indian Mujahideen. Indian security agencies believe Armar recruited nearly three dozen Indian members for IS. He became the chief recruiter in India after his brother Sultan Armar died in March 2015. The state department also listed his numerous aliases, including Anjan Bhai, Chote Maula and Yousouf al-Hindi.

The action, the state department said, was meant to alert the international community that Armar, Atar and Binali “have committed or pose a significant risk of committing acts of terrorism”. The designation would also assist law enforcement actions of other US agencies and other governments, it added.

Atar, a Belgian-Moroccan national, was described as a senior leader of the external operations efforts of IS who had established a network to carry out attacks in Europe. “He was a leading coordinator of the November 2015 Paris attacks and March 2016 attacks in Brussels,” the statement said.

He was responsible for recruiting, training and sending at least some of the individuals to Paris to launch the November 2015 attacks that killed and injured hundreds, including Americans. He also recruited and mentored two of the bombers involved in the 2016 Brussels attacks that killed 32 and left many wounded.

Binali is a senior member of IS who left Bahrain to join the terror group in 2014.

He has appeared in IS propaganda videos that called on Bahrainis, specifically members of the security forces, to join IS.