NIA to probe conspiracy by Indians to join anti-Assad terror groups in Syria

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered a case to probe an alleged conspiracy by some youths in Kerala to join Salafist terror organisations Jund al-Aqsa and Jabhat al-Nusrah in their attempt to overthrow the Bashar al-Assad government in Syria.

The agency has registered a case under IPC sections related to criminal conspiracy and waging war against an Asiatic power at peace with the Indian government.

The NIA has also booked the youths under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, the agency said in a statement.

The NIA said it had received credible information that from 2013 onwards, certain youths, originally from Kerala and Karnataka but based in Qatar, had hatched a criminal conspiracy to wage war against Syria, an Asiatic power at peace with the Government of India.

The youths conducted preparation or travelled to Syria and joined the terrorist organizations Jund al-Aqsa and Jabhat al-Nusrah with the intention to commit terrorist acts, it said.