The two persons have been identified as members of an ISIS-linked sleeper cell in Maharashtra. They were arrested in Mumbai following their deportation from Jakarta, ET has learnt. Abdullah Fayaz and Talha Khan were hiding in Indonesia and were recently deported by Jakarta, according to the people cited earlier.
Indonesia has backed India on matters of territorial integrity involving Kashmir, including in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and has often cracked down on terrorist infrastructure and radical views.
In January, the Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto had dropped his plan to visit Pakistan following his India visit for the Republic Day celebrations, and spent more time in New Delhi beyond his original schedule. The deportation of the two ISIS operatives happened days after Subianto met India’s envoy in Jakarta to discuss the April Pahalgam attack in which militants gunned down 26 tourists.
At that meeting, Subianto had said that the terror attack in Kashmir did not reflect the teachings of Islam practiced in Indonesia and noted that any system influenced by the military does not produce desired results.
Subianto, the leader of a country with the largest Muslim population in the world, was deeply shocked by the cruelty of the attack Pahalgam, according to the Indian envoy.During his January visit, Subianto and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing cooperation in combating this threat through bilateral and multilateral initiatives. They underscored the importance of strengthening global efforts to combat terrorism, including eliminating terror financing and preventing the recruitment of terrorists.Both leaders emphasised the need for all countries to work collectively to deny safe havens and support networks to terrorist groups, in accordance with international obligations and commitments.
They called upon all countries to take concerted action against UN-proscribed terrorist organisations and their affiliates. Recognising the evolving nature of security challenges, the two leaders agreed to work together in preventing the spread of online radicalisation and strengthening mechanisms to counter extremist ideologies, according to the joint statement issued following the visit.
