Followed by active fighters and commanders of ISIS also known as ISIL or Daesh, it was an account that reported things as they were happening in Iraq and Syria about how the terrorist organization was killing people, not before torturing them and how it was spreading across the world.
At the time, ISIS was at its peak and intelligence and security agencies around the world were worried how ISIS would strike them and where.
ShamiWitness had developed as the one stop source of information for journalists across the world who wanted to know what the situation on the ground was, as it was assumed that he was a high-ranking ISIS commander who was sharing information from the ground.
When journalists would reach out to him through Twitter Direct messages, including this reporter, with a query or seeking confirmation, he would already have the sought information and in cases where he did not have the information, he would come back with one.
The account, it seemed, was being operated by someone who was putting out content right from Raqqa, Syria, the de facto Caliphate of ISIS or from Mosul in Iraq, much of which was under the control of ISIS.
Who was ShamiWitness? How close was he to the now slain chief of AI Baghdadi? Did the "polite" ShamiWitness travel from one place to the other with Baghdadi?
How close was he to Baghdadi? Was he one of the sons of Baghdadi? No one knew answers to these questions at that time.
However, things were going to change.
On one winter morning of 13 December 2014, India and the entire world woke up to the startling fact that the person who was running "ShamiWitness", the most prominent anonymous voice of ISIS, was an Indian national of barely 24 years of age. And he was not tweeting from Raqqa, but mostly from his rented house in Bengaluru or from his of fice premises of ITC while using an Acer laptop or a Nokia 6300 mobile phone.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MG Windsor recorded 15,176 bookings on first day
MG Windsor EV, India's 1st Intelligent CUV, received a significant customer response minutes after the bookings commenced on Thursday, October 3, 2024, at 7:30 am.
HERO MOTOCORP SOLD 5.12 LAKH UNITS OF MOTORCYCLES AND SCOOTERS IN AUGUST
Hero MotoCorp, a manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, sold 512,360 units of motorcycles and scooters in August 2024, the company informed the exchange in a filing.
Govt subsidies, falling battery prices to make EVs more accessible
Government subsidies and declining battery prices are making electric vehicles (EVs) more accessible even though they still have higher upfront costs than conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, Axis Securities said in an analysis.
eHUB by MG app crosses 15,000 downloads in two months
SW MG Motor India today announced that it has achieved a milestone of 15,000 downloads for the eHUB by MG app since its launch on 6th August this year.
GOVT NOTIFIES PM E-DRIVE SUBSIDY SCHEME WITH RS10,900 CR OUTLAY
The central government notified the PM Electric Drive subsidy scheme with an outlay of Rs10,900 crore, which will be implemented from tomorrow, October 1, 2024, till March 31, 2026.
The all-new BMW M4 CS launched in India
The car will be available in the country as a Completely Built-Up (CBU) model and can be booked at the BMW dealership network.
SC dismisses review petitions on taxation of mines
The Supreme Court has dismissed petitions seeking a review of its landmark 9-judge bench judgment, which affirmed that states possess the authority to levy taxes on mineral-bearing lands and clarified that royalties on extracted minerals do not constitute a tax.
COURT PLACES ASHISH PANDEY IN CBI CUSTODY
A court in Kolkata has recently placed Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, and suspended police officer Abhijit Mondal in 14-days of judicial custody.
MP HC dismisses plea of man booked for offensive post
The Madhya Pradesh High Court has dismissed a petition from a man seeking to quash an FIR related to an allegedly offensive post on his Instagram account targeting Lord Ram, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and Hinduism.
CJI reminds lawyer he's 'still in charge'
Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, who is set to retire in November, reminded a lawyer on Thursday that he is \"still in charge\" despite his short remaining tenure.