Lucknow encounter: Pro-Islamic State channel identifies Saifullah as soldier of Caliphate

Lucknow police had said Saifullah was ‘self-radicalised’and inspired by Islamic State. (Source: PTI Photo)

In a fresh development in the Lucknow encounter, a purported message posted by a pro-Islamic State (IS) Telegram channel has identified Saifullah, who was killed in an encounter in Lucknow earlier this week, as a soldier of the Caliphate. Officials said they are verifying the veracity of the post and has sought cooperation from foreign intelligence agencies. This is the first time that any IS supported channel on Telegram has owned up Saifullah, who was part of the alleged terror module, which planted a bomb on a train near Bhopal on March 7.

It may be recalled that Uttar Pradesh police after initially claiming the attack to be carried out by a group owning allegiance to IS has retracted from the statement and said the group was “self radicalised” and was inspired by the IS. Home minister Rajnath Singh also did not mention IS in his statement to the Parliament.

US based intelligence website Site Intel Group posted a screen grab of the Telegram message on Twitter, which said, “Pro-#ISIS Telegram Channel Incites for Attacks in #India, Points to Suspected IS Fighter Saifullah as Example.”

The website also posted a photograph of Saifullah describing him as a “soldier of the Khilafah from India.” The photo was juxtaposed with a message in Urdu, Arabic and English. It said, “Think not of those who are killed in the way of Allah as dead, Nay, they are alive, with their Lord, and they have provision.”