A team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday night inspected the house of a teacher, a resident of Ward No. 9 in Rajouri town, where two members of an ISIS-inspired module had taken shelter about a year ago during their visit to Rajouri and Poonch districts.

The IS-inspired module — Harkat-ul-Harb-e-Islam — was busted by the NIA in December last year and arrested its 10 members, including its head Mohammad Suhail, a resident of Amroha in Uttar Pradesh, who was a ‘mufti’ at a madrassa.

The NIA team had brought with them one Saqib Iftikhar to identify the house as he along with his accomplice had stayed with the teacher.

Saqib, an ‘imam’ by profession, is a resident of Simbhaoli in UP, and was arranging weapons for the group, sources said.

“The motive behind its visit to both districts is not known,” said the sources

While looking for an accommodation in a hotel in Rajouri, Saqib had come in contact with the teacher, Shokat Khan, and had introduced himself as an ‘imam’. The teacher had then offered Saqib and his colleague to stay at his home for a night, they said.

The sources said on Tuesday, the NIA team inspected and videographed the rooms where Saqib and his accomplice had stayed last year. They said the teacher was out of station. No arrest was made by the NIA team, the sources added. — OC

Courtesy:The Tribune,Jan10,2019