Kannur: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday arrested two women operatives of the outlawed Islamic State terror group from Kerala for alleged involvement in running various ISIS propaganda channels on social media platforms to propagate its violent Jihadi ideology, and radicalise and recruit new members, an official said.
Mizha Siddeeque and Shifa Harris of Kannur district, who are also cousins, were arrested in connection with a suo motu case registered by the premier investigation agency under sections of the IPC and the UA(P) Act in March over terrorist activities of Mohammed Ameen of Kerala and his associates, the official said.
Ameen and his associates were running various ISIS propaganda channels on different social media platforms such as Telegram, Hoop and Instagram for promoting the violent Jihadi ideology of ISIS and radicalising and recruiting new members for the ISIS module, the NIA official said.
The NIA officials arrived at the residence of the two women around 6am and took them into custody. They were both produced in the court under the online mode.
Siddeeque, who is affiliated with the ISIS, had travelled to Iran's capital Tehran along with her associates to join the global terror outfit in Syria, the official said, adding that on instructions of Ameen, she created a page on Instagram to propagate, motivate, radicalise and recruit gullible Muslim youth for the terror group.
She had also radicalised other accused in the case, including her cousin Mus'Hab Anwar and Harris, and was motivating them to join the ISIS, the NIA official said.
Harris, who also has an affiliation with the ISIS, had transferred funds to Mohammad Waqar Lone for supporting the group's activities on the directions of Anwar and Siddeeque, the official said.
Shifa was willing to perform Hijra (religious migration) to ISIS-controlled territory for joining the terror group, the NIA official said, adding that further investigation in the case continues.
(With inputs from PTi and IANS)
