US Drone Strike Kills Key India ISIS Recruiter in Syria: Reports

A native of Bhatkal, Karnataka, Mohammad Shafi Armar was in touch with over 600 youths via social media.

An ISIS supporter holding the flag of the outfit and Mohammad Shafi Armar (insert) the chief India recruiter. (Photo: Reuters/Interpol)

28-year-old Mohammad Shafi Armar, the key recruiter for ISIS in India has allegedly been killed in a US drone strike in Syria, reports Times of India.

According to the reports, Shafi also known as Yousuf became an important ally to the chief of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Shafi was helping in setting up the terror outfit in India.

Shafi has allegedly recruited at least 30 men for the group. According to 23 ISIS recruits arrested by the NIA this past year, Shafi, native of Bhatkal in Karnataka, aimed to establish an ISIS unit in every state in India.

Shafi’s death according to Times of India has been confirmed by three top government and intelligence sources.

A screengrab of Shafi’s wanted page. (Photo Courtesy: Interpol)

Shafi was reportedly in touch with over 600 youths through social media platforms in the course of one year. The report suggests that Shafi may have recruited some of them for ISIS.

Sultan Arman, Shafi’s elder brother was heading ISIS’ India franchise till last year. He was killed in March 2015 while fighting alongside ISIS in Syria. 

A screengrab of Sultan Armar’s wanted page. (Photo Courtesy: Interpol)

According to the NIA, Shafi left for Pakistan along with his brother Sultan, the man who was spearheading online recruitment of young men across the country to join ISIS.

The Armar brothers’ ISIS link was known after interrogating Yasin Bhatkal, who was arrested near the Nepal border in 2013.