NIA raids in Maharashtra, Karnataka in ISIS terror conspiracy case, 13 arrested

New Delhi: A total of 13 people were arrested in the ISIS terror conspiracy case from Maharashtra's Pune on Saturday following searches by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) at 44 locations in Karnataka and Maharashtra.

The anti-terror agency sleuths raided these locations in close coordination with the police forces of Maharashtra and Karnataka, sources said.

Of the 44 locations being raided since this morning, the agency sleuths searched one place in Karnataka, two in Pune, 31 in Thane Rural, nine in Thane city, and one in Bhayander, they said.

The case pertains to a criminal conspiracy hatched by accused persons and their associates who had pledged to the violent extremist ideology of proscribed terrorist organizations, including Al-Qaeda and ISIS, and had formed a terrorist gang.

The terrorist organizations had recruited like-minded youth into their fold besides conducting religious classes to wage violent jihad to establish Islamic rule in India.