Indian police arrest 4 Sri Lankans for suspected IS links

India's anti-terror police have arrested four Sri Lankan nationals in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad for suspected links to the Islamic State, police said yesterday.

The arrests were made late on Sunday at the city's airport following a tip-off, said Vikas Sahay, the top police officer in Gujarat state where Ahmedabad is located.

"Preliminary investigations show they were in contact with a key IS leader known as Abu, who is currently based in Pakistan. Further investigations are continuing to uncover the full extent of the conspiracy," Sahay told reporters, giving only one name for the Islamic State leader.

The arrested individuals were identified as Mohammed Nusrat (33), Mohammed Nafran (35), Mohammed Faaris (27), and Mohammed Rashdin (43), all residents of Colombo, Sri Lanka, whose foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.