India in close contact with Russia over detained IS terrorist

India on Thursday said that New Delhi is in close contact with the Russian authorities in connection with the detained IS terrorist and a suspected suicide bomber who was planning to attack a member of India’s ruling circles.

In a weekly presser, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “We are aware of the case and we are in touch with the Russian authorities on the matter.” However, Bagchi refrained from making any additional comments on the case. “Given the security implications, you would appreciate we are not in a position to share further details in this matter at this moment.”

This comes as Azamov Mashrabkhon, an IS terrorist, was detained by the Russian security agency. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has also released a video where the suspected terrorist has confessed that he was preparing an act of terrorism against a member of India’s ruling circles for insulting the Prophet Muhammad”. According to media reports, the arrested radical is of Uzbek origin.

The detainee said in the video that he swore allegiance to the IS Amir in April 2022 and underwent special training, after which he flew to Russia, from where he was to travel to India. “I was supposed to be given things there to commit a terrorist attack at the behest of the IS for insulting the Prophet Muhammad,” said the man in the video.