New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has sought assistance from six countries, including the US, UAE and Canada, in its ongoing investigation against various suspected ISIS operatives and their terror activities in the country.

The probe agency disclosed this in its charge sheet filed before District Judge Amar Nath against 16 suspected ISIS operatives, arrested from across the country allegedly on the charges of recruiting and financing people to join the terror group.

The agency claimed that these accused were trying to “advance the cause of ISIS and establish Caliphate in India”.

It also alleged that they were seeking assistance from Maoist groups and had also planned to use forests of Telangana as hideout.

“Investigation confirmed that the accused persons were using different mobile numbers and they had contacted and interacted with their associates on web-based social media networks for purpose of recruitment, preperation of IEDs, identifying places for training and hideout and finally comitting terror strikes at various public places and vital installations in India…

“In this regard two requests under Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) to USA, one request under MLAT to Canada, two requests under MLAT to UAE and one Letters Rogatory each to Ireland, New Zealand and Sudan have been sent for collection of evidence against the accused persons,” the charge sheet said, adding that replies to the requests are still awaited.

It claimed that the ISIS cadres had received financial assistance through hawala transactions for purpose of organising meeting, travel expenses, recruitment and training to carryout the subversive activities of ISIS in India.

“Accused were trying to develop software for secured communication among the members of a organisation Unoon-ul- Khilafa-Fil-Hind, which derived its inspiration from ISIS,” it said.