K’taka: Two detained over ‘links’ with Pakistan, ISIS
Kalaburagi: The Uttar Pradesh Anti‑Terrorist Squad (ATS), in a joint operation with Kalaburagi police, detained two persons from Kalaburagi district on Thursday for their alleged links with Pakistan and the terror outfit ISIS, police said.
The accused have been identified as Mohammad Sameer and Salman, both reportedly from Uttar Pradesh. Preliminary investigations revealed they were working at a beef export factory in the district.
According to police, the two were allegedly in regular contact with Pakistan’s Inter‑Services Intelligence (ISI) and ISIS through WhatsApp calls and Facebook.
The suspects were detained as part of an inter‑state social media monitoring exercise, during which their accounts were reportedly tracked for alleged anti‑national activities.
Following the monitoring, the Uttar Pradesh ATS and Kalaburagi police jointly conducted the operation and took the two into custody.
The accused have been taken to an undisclosed location for questioning by the ATS. A case has been registered at the Kalaburagi University police station.
Police said further details would emerge following interrogation.
The development comes days after the Uttar Pradesh ATS detained two other suspects from Karnataka’s Tumakuru and Davanagere districts over alleged links with terror organisations operating from Pakistan.
In June 2026, a 20‑year‑old migrant worker named Suhail from Uttar Pradesh was arrested in Davanagere district in a joint operation by local police, intelligence officials and inputs from the National Investigation Agency (NIA). He was accused of having online radicalisation links and communicating with Pakistan‑based handlers.
The arrest followed interrogation leads from earlier June 2026 detentions in Tumakuru and Davanagere linked to cross‑border social media messaging. Suhail worked as a factory painter. The investigation revealed suspicious WhatsApp group links, Pakistan‑based contacts and digital data indicating online radicalisation.