Mumbai: Key IS recruiter Shafi Armar’s death last month created a furore across social media platforms. However, according to a news report, the most sought after recruiter is still alive and in constant touch with prospective recruits.
The 27-year-old recruiter Mohammed Shafi Armar alias Yousuf-al-Hindi was reportedly killed in a US strike this April.
Read: ISIS India recruitment head Armar, killed in Syria, was sidelined
“Armar is still alive and looking for new recruits for the banned terror outfit in India. He is in constant touch with individuals who are under surveillance for their alleged Jihadi allegiance,” said an officer working with a counter-terror group, as quoted in the report.
According to National Investigation agency and the Intelligence Bureau, Armar is operating in Syria. He addresses his sympathisers as Yousuf-al-Hindi from Bhatkal while deliberating with them over issues concerning the terror outfit.
Read: Shafi Armar's mother clueless about his death
Armar along with his brother Sultan Abdul Kadir, who died last year during fighting at Kobane, on the Syria-Turkey border, had fled Bhatkal almost a decade ago to join hands with the co-founders of IM - Riyaz and Iqbal but due to ideological differences and in receiving and handling of funds, the Armars split from the Shahbandaris and joined Daesh.
The 27-year-old soon shot off to higher ranks and was made responsible for the outfit’s recruitment in India. However, things ran out of his hand when 27 recruits were nabbed by NIA. The arrested, when interrogated, gave a tip-off to the investigators and divulged information which went against Daesh thus adversely affecting the terror outfit's recruitment drive in India.
Read: No proof my brothers are dead: Shafi Armar's brother
“The arrests have not gone down well with Daesh, which suspects some inner hand behind the NIA action. It will not be surprising if they are behind Shafi’s death. There is so far no confirmation about Shafi's death,” the officer added.
Armar had founded the Ansar al-Tauhid fi'Bilad al-Hind (AuT) from the remaining cadres of the Indian Mujahideen (IM) and was the masked jihadist, who used to appear in Daesh’s propaganda videos to invite Indian Muslims to train in jihadi camps in Pakistan’s turbulent North Waziristan.
