New Delhi, Nov 22 (IANS) An Intelligence Bureau report from October 2025 had stated that the Islamic State is tapping into the infrastructure of the Indian Mujahideen, which was largely wiped out a decade back and could have a link to the Red Fort blast in which 13 people died.

The Indian Mujahideen following the arrest of its top man, Yasin Bhatkal may have collapsed, but the agencies had always flagged the defunct modules of the terror outfit and said that these could be used by other groups.

Today with the probe into the Delhi Red Fort blast widening, security officials say that the Jaish-e-Mohammad, which ran the Faridabad module could be tapping into the infrastructure of the Indian Mujahideen which has remained largely defunct for more than 10 years.

While no direct link between the Indian Mujahideen and Faridabad module has been established as yet, investigators suspect that the Jaish-e-Mohammad could have used the infrastructure of the defunct outfit to procure arms and ammunition.

Following the arrest of Bhatkal and his associates many Indian Mujahideen operatives went underground. They are still lurking around and pose a huge risk to the system, explained an Intelligence Bureau official.

While some have remained silent, others have joined hands with terror groups. For instance, Shafi Armar, a former Indian Mujahideen operative joined the Islamic State in Syria after the fall of his outfit. He turned out to be a dangerous operative and has been credited for setting up the India operations for the outfit single handedly.

Armar was, however, killed in an air strike following which his wife, Rabiya, alias Umm Osama, who is alleged to be based out of Oman has been running the India operations.

The Maharashtra ATS during a probe found that she was actively recruiting youth and even oversaw a recruitment programme.

Officials say that the Indian Mujahideen was probably one of the most dangerous home grown outfits in India. During its reign of terror it created a massive network across the country. It was most active in South India, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

The modules that the Indian Mujahideen had created in these parts of the country were capable of striking at any place.

The Delhi blast probe is now focussing on the routes that the accused persons had taken to procure the ammonium nitrate. Nearly 2,900 kilograms of ammonium nitrate had been seized from the accused who were part of the Faridabad module.

The agencies now have a former Indian Mujahideen operative, Mirza Shahdab Baig on their radar. During the crackdown on the outfit, Baig fled the country and settled down in Saudi Arabia. The agencies now suspect that he is in Afghanistan and is working for a Jaish-e-Mohammad module over there.

According to a dossier prepared by the Intelligence Bureau, Baig was in charge of the explosives when he was with the Indian Mujahideen. He was solely responsible for procuring ammonium nitrate for the outfit. He was also an expert bomb maker and had mastered the art of preparing IEDs by using ammonium nitrate.

When the probe into the Delhi blast commenced, the police had learnt that the Faridabad module members were being handled by a person from Afghanistan. Several members of the Jaish-e-Mohammad module in Afghanistan that was set up in 2021 had assisted the Faridabad module members.

The agencies suspect that the Faridabad module may have tapped Baig to assist in operations. Baig would have been an obvious choice for the Jaish-e-Mohammad since he knows the ins and outs of the system in the country, especially when it comes to procuring ammonium nitrate.

An official says that in this operation, the role of the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) has also cropped up. The Faridabad module members used a mix of Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP) and ammonium nitrate to prepare the explosives. This is a mix that is used by the Islamic State as it is easier for beginners to handle.

An official said that the Jaish-e-Mohammad may have used the expertise of both Baig as well as the ISKP to procure and prepare the explosives. Another reason why the agencies suspect that Baig may have played a major role is because of his connection to the Al-Falah University.

Several doctors from this university were arrested in connection with the Faridabad module case. Baig was in fact a student at this university and even taught there before taking to terror in a big way.

The police say that despite fleeing the country, he was in touch with many students in the college. This is a crucial link and the probe would now focus on the larger picture. It is important for us to look closely at the defunct modules of the Indian Mujahideen. The Indian Mujahideen had a robust infrastructure and several groups are now looking to tap into it to set up a full-fledged home grown terror outfit in the country.

–IANS

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