Kerala ISIS module case: NIA arrests key IS operative Jufri Jawhar Damudi, associate in Karnataka

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Karnataka Police in a coordinated counter-terrorism operation have arrested one Jufri Jawhar Damudi aka Abu Hajir Al Badri, who was high up in the hierarchy of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province (ISKP) and a key ISIS operative. He was arrested from Bhatkal, Karnataka along with one of his associates Ameen Zuhaib on August 6, 2021.

Abu Hajir Al Badri was in the notice of central agencies since April 2020 for his active role in the production and dissemination of IS propaganda monthly online magazine “Voice of Hind”.

Besides ISIS propaganda/Media activity, he was also looking after logistical support including procurement of arms and explosives, funding for mujahideens and recruitment. He was in direct contact with Islamic State leaders in Khorasan (Afghanistan) and Syria. He also instigated his cyber contacts to kill kufars (disbelievers), Police Personnel, Journalists etc and inflecting damage to temples and government properties.

On cyberspace, Abu Hajir Al Badri is claimed to be based in Afghanistan-Pakistan and was taking all security precautions to evade his detection by Intelligence agencies.

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Despite his claim to be based in Khorasan/Pakistan on social media, it was assessed that ‘Abu Hajir Al Badri’ might be based in India and not Khorasan.

Based on this assessment and the leads developed through the revelations of Qasim Khurasani aka Umar Nisar (arrested on July 11, 2021), further intelligence investigation by Indian central agencies in co-ordination with foreign agencies, the real identity of Abu Hajir Al Badri was established as Bhatkal-based Jufri Jawhar Damudi.

Thereafter, through deft fieldwork, the agencies managed to identify Jufri Jawhar Damudi (30 years) and one of his associates Ameen Zuhaib in Bhatkal. It was also established that Jufri Jawhar Damudi is younger brother of Adnan Hassan Damudi, who was arrested by NIA in 2017 in ISIS related cases.

Jufri Jawhar Damudi accepted his association with Afghanistan-Pakistan-based IS operatives and involvement in the production and dissemination of IS propaganda magazine “Voice of Hind”.

During a search by central agencies, teams have recovered digital media devices and incriminating jihadi literature from the raided locations.

In the last one month, raids at 21 locations spread across Anantnag, Srinagar, Bandipore, Baramulla, Mangalore, Bangalore, and Bhatkal resulted in 10 arrests from 3 separate modules of ISIS in India.

This Pan-India crackdown and back-to-back arrests of two prominent Islamic State (ISIS) operatives i.e Qasim Khurasani and Abu Hajir Al Badri is a major blow to Islamic State and these disruptions would degrade the ISIS network in India significantly.

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