HYDERABAD: In a major crackdown, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is learnt to have picked up several suspects who have connections with militant group Islamic State (IS) in the wee hours of Wednesday here in Hyderabad.

Simultaneous raids were reported to have taken place in parts of the old city to nab the suspects.

Initial reports suggested that as many as 11 persons have been taken into custody by the NIA sleuths. According to information available, raids were held at 10 localities including Moghalpura, Bhavani Nagar, Meer Chowk, Chandrayangutta, Barkas, Talabkatta etc. The raids have taken place as a result of months of tracking and tracing the activities of suspects in the city.

It is said that NIA has uncovered an ISIS cell that was plotting a terror attack in different parts of the country and were in touch with their handlers in Syria. Firearms and ammunition were seized from them, it is learnt.

Earlier this year in January, the NIA had detained four ISIS suspects from Tolichowki, Madhapur, Masab Tank and Gachibowli in the city as part of a nationwide crackdown on ISIS modules.

The investigation agency has always maintained that it has credible information that the ISIS/ISIL has been engaged in radicalization of Indian Youths and motivating them to join the terrorist organization as a result of which some have already joined it or are in the process of joining it for committing terrorist acts in the conflict zone of Iraq, Syria and Libya. The NIA has been stating that ISIL is also contemplating to expand its activities to other parts of the world including India.

Wednesday's operations come at a time when the world is shocked at a suspected IS terror attack at Turkey's Ataturk airport in Istanbul which led to killing of at least 36 and injuring 147, as reports suggest.