Pakistani wife of Indian Mujahideen terrorist operates ISIS fundraising network
NEW DELHI: The Millennium Post has accessed exclusive details of an ISIS terror plot involving Rabiya aka Umm Osama, a Pakistani national and wife of Safi Armar aka Yusuf Al-Hind, a key operative of the Indian Mujahideen (IM). Rabiya allegedly orchestrated a financial network to radicalise Indian youth and fund ISIS fighters.
Rabiya joined ISIS in Syria along with her brother and sister-in-law.
During her time there, she met and married Safi Armar, a wanted Indian Mujahideen terrorist. Armar, known by multiple aliases including Chhota Maulla and Anjaan Bhairis, was wanted in NIA Case No. RC-06/2012/NIA-DLI under IPC Sections 121A and 123 and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. He was also on the Red Corner Notice list before being killed in the 2019 battle at Baghuz.
Following her husband’s death, Rabiya moved to the Al-Hawl war camp (Syria) with her two children. From there, she continued her radical activities, using various social media platforms to recruit and radicalise Indian youth in the name of ‘funds for ISIS martyrs’.
Investigations revealed that Rabiya received funds from radicalised Indian youth through hawala channels. These transactions were routed via Dubai and disguised as medical aid through Türkiye.
ATM deposits were preferred over online transfers to avoid detection.
A Pakistani mobile number and chats recovered from Syrian jail inmates further implicated her in financing ISIS operations. Shipping company accounts were also being used to facilitate the movement of funds and fighters.
Rabiya created multiple social media accounts, displaying permanent photos of her deceased husband Safi Armar as a ‘mujahid’ to attract recruits. She also used images of controversial figures such as Zakir Musa, Burhan Wani, and Zakir Naik, and visuals from the 26/11 Mumbai attacks to manipulate followers.
One of her primary targets was Huzaif Shaikh from Nasik, who sent money in the name of ‘martyrs’ families’. Agencies found that Rabiya targeted members of the Barelvi Muslim community, convincing them to alter their prayer styles and stop visiting shrines.
Investigators found that Rabiya recommended extremist literature written by:
* Dr. Arshad Asif Jalali
* Ahtar Raza Khan
* Tajushariah Azhari Miyan
* Tahil Ul Qadri
* Maulana Masood Azhar
* Shakir Ali Noori Sab
She also shared website links related to Maulana Masood Azhar and other radical ideologues.
The arrested accused, Huzaif Abdul Aziz Shaikh, was found actively communicating with Rabiya via social media. Once she confirmed his support for ISIS, she facilitated online meetings to advance the terror group’s ideology.
Shaikh transferred approximately 2,100 Dirhams (Rs 50,000) through hawala to Moayad Baradie’s Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank account (A/C No. 28484176). Additionally, he transferred Rs 23,150 to the bank accounts of ISIS supporters in India.
Authorities discovered that an Indian ISIS module was in touch with Turkish IP addresses. The module had raised funds for ISIS fighters using 38 different accounts. Indian agencies are now awaiting details of the account holders through the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) and Letters Rogatory.
The investigation also revealed that arrested individuals carefully deleted chat histories related to money transfers to evade law enforcement scrutiny.
