The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday said that it has probed as many as 37 cases of terror attacks associated with the Islamic State (IS) so far, with the most recent being registered by the agency in June 2021.

The NIA further stated that a “total of 168 accused have been arrested” in these 37 cases. “Charge sheets have been filed in 31 cases, and 27 accused have been convicted after trial,” a statement released by the NIA read.

The agency noted that its investigation has revealed that the Islamic terrorist group is attempting to “spread its tentacles in India through continuous propaganda online.” “Gullible youth are targeted on open social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram,” the statement added.

The NIA said that once a person shows interest in the ideologies of the IS, he or she is then “enticed to communicate with online handlers” based overseas using encrypted social media platforms.

The statement said that on the basis of the person’s gullibility, the handlers use the him or her for uploading digital content, translation of the terrorist group’s texts to the regional language, preparation of module, preparation of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), terror funding and even attacks, among others.

The agency also made an appeal to the Indian citizens to immediately contact the NIA authorities at 011-24368800, if they notice any such activity on the internet.

With Afghanistan falling into the hands of Islamist extremist group Taliban after 20 years and the US and its allied forces pulled out from the country, there is a constant fear of land being used for terror attacks in the coming future.

Notably, on August 26, the Islamic State’s Afghanistan unit carried out suicide attack at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport while the evacuation of foreign nationals of various countries and Afghans were underway. The incident claimed the lives of 13 US troops and injured over 100 people, including several Afghan citizens.