Bhatkal-born alleged ISIS recruiter Shafi Armar named global terrorist

Agencies
June 16, 2017

New Delhi, Jun 16: Fugitive chief recruiter for terror group ISIS in the Indian subcontinent Mohammed Shafi Armar was today named a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the US.Armar

The US State Treasury Department, while updating its list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT), has included in it Armar, a native of Bhatkal in Karnataka, clearing the way for sanctions against him.

An Interpol Red Corner notice is also pending against the 30-year-old Armar, who has many aliases like 'Chhote Maula', 'Anjan Bhai' and 'Yousuf al-Hindi'.

Armar's name has now been added to the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Treasury Department which enforces economic sanctions programmes, primarily against countries and groups of individuals, such as terrorists and narcotics traffickers.

The sanctions can be either comprehensive or selective, using the blocking of assets and trade restrictions to accomplish foreign policy and national security goals of the US.

Armar was said to have left for Pakistan along with his elder brother after crackdown on Indian Mujahideen cadres.

After a fight with Bhatkal brothers, including Riyaz, the founder of IM, in Pakistan, Armar is believed to have created Ansar ul Tawhid, which later pledged its allegiance to the ISIS.

There have been many reports of him having been dead in a drone attack or crackdown by the allied forces. However, every time intelligence agencies began giving credence to such reports, his name or voice cropped up in intercepts.

Tech savvy, Armar has been operating on Facebook and other personal messenger services to contact, brainwash and recruit youths from India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

His links to the ISIS were also the highlight of the interrogation of Yasin Bhatkal, who was arrested near the Nepal border in 2013.

Shafi Armar first came on the radar of investigation agencies when the NIA was probing suspected ISIS cadres in Ratlam of Madhya Pradesh.

During the interrogation of alleged IS operatives, it emerged that Armar was motivating and radicalising Muslim youths in India. He was said to have been recruiting youths for the Jund ul Khalifa-e-Hind through online radicalisation.

The NIA had charge-sheeted him along with five others for allegedly conspiring to carry out terror strikes in the national capital and also during ardhkumbh in Haridwar.

The National Investigation Agency had told a special court that these accused were planning to assemble Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) using extracts from "match sticks".

The United Arab Emirates had deported three Indians who were allegedly working for Armar.

It emerged during the interrogation of IM suspects that he was a self-proclaimed ally of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, chief of the ISIS.

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Shankar
 - 
Saturday, 17 Jun 2017

So sad, youngsters falling prey to religious extremism.

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News Network
February 9,2020

Hassan, Feb 9: Accusing the Centre for treating Karnataka as its enemy Former Minister and Congress leader UT Khader on Saturday said that the state did not get support from the Centre on the Mahadayi issue and flood relief and even the Union Budget.

Speaking to the media here, he said that the state has elected 25 BJP Lok Sabha members. Three from the state were Ministers in the Union Cabinet and another MP has been appointed president of the party’s state unit.

'None of them have spoken about the injustice done to the state in the budget. The budget document announced Rs 18,600 crore for the suburban railway in Bengaluru. But, ultimately the amount earmarked for the project is only Rs 1 crore. How can any BJP leader justify this?', the Congress leader wondered.

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News Network
March 30,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 30: The coronavirus scare has taken a toll on the poultry industry in Karnataka with many poultry farm owners culling the birds, insiders in the poultry industry said.

At least one lakh birds have been culled in the last one week, the sources said.

Ever since the news spread about novel coronavirus spreading rapidly, the poultry industry started feeling the heat.

The lockdown spelt further trouble for the industry with reduced business compelling farm owners to go in for the culling.

According to Muddukrishna of C N Nischchith Enterprises, a live chicken dealer in Bengaluru, the culling had taken place in Shivamogga, Kolar and other places.

"There is a drastic decline in business. There are neither customers nor enough supply of birds for sale. We are badly hit. There are many poultry farm owners who have incurred tremendous loss due to the lockdown," Muddukrishna told news agency.

Another major poultry industry owner, having his farms in Channapatna, Ramanagar, Anekal and surrounding places, said he had to get rid of at least 4,000 birds in each of these farms.

"This is not restricted to me alone. There are about 64 major poultry industries who have gone for the drastic measure of culling," said the farm owner.

He said in the last one week, at least one lakh birds have been culled as it was hard for them to maintain them.

"Each bird needs at least a kilogram of grains in three days to eat whereas each kg of poultry food costs about Rs 32. We have about two lakh birds in our farm. How can we maintain if there is no business," rued the poultry farm owner.

The industry has suffered a double whammy.

People gave up eating chicken following rumours that the novel coronavirus COVID-19 is similar to SARS, another virus.

Further, the lockdown has blocked the transportation of these birds, he added.

According to the farm owner, in the last one month, he had suffered a loss of around Rs 15 lakh and if the situation continues for the next three months, his condition would be beyond imagination.

Muddukrishna said the poultry farm association had given a memorandum to the animal husbandry and fisheries department seeking direction on the transportation of these birds.

Accordingly, the secretary in the department of Animal Husbandry and Fisheries A B Ibrahim issued a circular to all the city police commissioners, deputy commissioners of the district, superintendent of police and the CEO of Zilla Panchayath on Friday that the animal husbandry services have been declared as essential services.

Ibrahim said in his circular that the production of chicken birds, sheep, goat, pigs, etc in the farm and their transportation, manufacturing feed, liquid nitrogen meant for veterinary use and other items related to the Animal Husbandry should be permitted.

"Despite the order, our vehicles are stopped and drivers are harassed," alleged Muddukrishna.

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coastaldigest.com news network
May 13,2020

Mangaluru, May 13: Coastal district of Dakshina Kannada today reported a fresh covid-19 positive case. According to sources, this case also linked to Manglauru’s First Neuro Hospital, which has emerged as the corona hub of coastal Karnataka.

Health and Family Welfare department in its today’s bulletin revealed that a 38-year-old woman from Darandabagilu near Someshwara in Mangaluru taluk of Dakshina Kannada was tested coronavirus positive.

It is said that the woman was in touch with P-507, an octogenarian, who was being treated for neurological issues at First Neuro Hospital.

With this the total number of coronavirus positive cases reported in Dakshina Kannada rose to 34. Among them only 26 are residents of Dakshina Kannada. Four are from Kasaragod, three from Udupi and one from Bhatkal.

Among 34, currently there only 17 active cases. The condition of two among them is said to be critical.

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