New Delhi: The United Nations report which suggested presence of "significant numbers" of ISIS terrorists in Kerala and Karnataka is "factually not correct", the central government said on Sunday.

Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy's reply came in Lok Sabha on whether the government is aware of the United Nations report, titled 'The 26th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team concerning ISIS, Al-Qaeda and associated individuals and entities', stating that there are "significant numbers" of ISIS terrorists in Kerala and Karnataka.

The minister said the government was aware of the report.

"However, the said report claiming presence of 'significant numbers' of ISIS terrorists in Kerala and Karnataka, is factually not correct. The Government continuously takes necessary measures to put forth India's correct position through established mechanism in unequivocal and categorical terms at various international, multilateral and bilateral fora and also through diplomatic channels," he said.

Reddy also said 34 cases related to the presence of Islamic State (IS) and 20 cases related to the presence of Lashkar-e-Toiba across the country were registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and 240 people were arrested.

"The government is aware of the presence of the terrorist outfits in the country including ISIS, Daesh, IS Khorasan, Lashkar-e-Toiba etc. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has so far registered and investigated 34 cases related to presence of Islamic State (IS) and 20 cases related to presence of Lashkar-e-Toiba across the country and arrested 160 and 80 accused persons respectively," he said.

Foiling an attempt by internationally banned terror group al-Qaeda to set up a base in India, the NIA had swooped on its recruits in West Bengal and Kerala and arrested nine of them on Saturday.

Acting on a tip-off provided by central intelligence agencies, the NIA, with the help of the state police forces, carried out raids in the intervening night of September 18 and 19 at Ernakulam in Kerala and Murshidabad in West Bengal, and arrested the nine men -- Murshid Hasan, Iyakub Biswas, Mosaraf Hossen from Ernakulam and Najmus Sakib, Abu Sufiyan, Mainul Mondal, Leu Yean Ahmed, Al Mamun Kamal and Atitur Rehman from Murshidabad.

(With PTI inputs.)

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