India seeks access to suicide bomber nabbed in Russia to unravel local links in plot

Indian security agencies have requested Russia’s FSB, to provide access to the Islamic State suicide bomber who was planning to target India’s ruling leadership to avenge the “insult to the Prophet.” 

“Indian agencies are in touch with both their Russian and Uzbek counterparts to explore the possibility of the 30-year-old Azamov being handed over to them for specific interrogation related to the Indian end of the conspiracy. It is vital for Indian agencies to dig out the local module which was tasked to help Azamov as this will unravel the full conspiracy,” according to a report in the Hindustan Times.

Indian agencies will study in minute detail the interrogation report of 30-year-old Azamov in order to unearth the local Islamic State-affiliated module which was to provide weapons and logistics to the Uzbek national when he arrived in India.

According to his confession, he underwent special suicide bomber training in Turkey, the hotbed of Islamic jihadists, and arrived in Russia to leave for India. The logistics and explosives were to be provided by “some persons” in India for the targeted attack.

The suicide bomber claimed that he had been radicalized in person in Turkey as well through Telegram online platform for targeting India.

Islamic terrorist groups such as ISIS-K, Al Qaeda and Muslim Brotherhood instigated by anti-India elements based in Pakistan are trying to trigger terror attacks in India by fanning religious sentiments. These groups have links with radicalized outfits in India through connections in West Asia.

According to the Hindustan Times report, associate intelligence agencies had warned their Indian counterparts in June 2022 that radical Islamists were in ferment and wanted to avenge the  ‘”insult to the Prophet.” Since India had tightened the visa screening from certain countries including Turkey, Qatar, Kuwait and Central Asian Republics, the suicide bomber chose the Moscow route to make his entry.