Accused held in Sri Lanka 'suspected handler'

The software engineer suspected by authorities in Sri Lanka of providing technical and logistical support to the suicide bombers of April 21, 2019 attack, was also a suspected handler of two IS operatives arrested by Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) two years back. 

Reportedly, Sri Lankan software engineer identified as Aadhil Ameez, a 24-year-old, was link between groups that attacked churches and hotels in Sri Lanka and killed more than 250 people. He was taken into custody on April 25, four days after the attacks. 

According to ATS officials, two suspects, identified as Mohamad Kasim Stimberwala, a laboratory technician with a hospital in Ankleshwar and Ubed Ahmed Mirza, a practising lawyer in Surat were arrested on October 25, 2017. The duo followed the ideology of Islamic State and was planning to carry out a lone wolf attack on a synagogue in Khadia area of Ahmedabad.

Both the suspected operatives of the IS were under the influence of Abdullah-el-Faisal, a radical preacher based in Jamaica and for many years, they were planning to cause terrorist acts. ATS officials said they recovered several WhatsApp chats, telephonic call records of suspects during the investigation. Ubed Miraz had spoken about Aadhil Ameez based in Sri Lanka. In the chat, Aadhil was identified as an ISIS handler and a person who could take up the cause of jihad. 

A senior ATS official said, “We have recovered one of the recordings of Ubed, in which he had taken the name of Aadhil Ameez. They were also bragging about assassinating the PM in Tamil Naidu and had also talked about carrying out an attack in Sri Lanka.” 

ATS officials informed central agencies about the matter and had also alerted Sri Lankan intelligence agencies and authorities. “We suspected that Aadhil was the handler of two IS operatives who were arrested in 2017. There were threads and links, where his name was taken by operatives, but there was no connection or involvement of him in the planning of the synagogue attack,” added the official.

Both Stimberwala and Mirza were booked under IPC section 120-A (criminal conspiracy), 121-A (waging or attempt to wage war against Government of India) and 125 (waging war against any Asiatic power in alliance with Government of India) of the IPC and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

ISIS HAND

• On October 25, 2017, two suspected ISIS operatives identified as Mohammad Kasim Stimberwala and Ubed Ahmed Mirza were arrested by Gujarat ATS from Surat 
   
• Operatives were planning to attack a synagogue in Khadia area of Ahmedabad