According to the agency, the NIA officials started conducting raids in 16 locations of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh at around 5 am on Wednesday. Commandos of Delhi Police’s anti-terror wing Special Cell were asked to join the raids as the NIA officials were expecting explosives and retaliation from the suspects
New Delhi: After almost a month of investigation and surveillance by the central anti-terror agency — the National Investigation Agency has busted a major North India-based terror module which was planning to attack Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) office and other vital institutions situated in Delhi.
The accused were planning serial attacks on or before Republic Day. According to the agency, the NIA officials started conducting raids in 16 locations of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh at around 5 am on Wednesday. Commandos of Delhi Police’s anti-terror wing Special Cell were asked to join the raids as the NIA officials were expecting explosives and retaliation from the suspects.
The module was started by Mufti Sohail. He was seen teaching how to make a bomb and carry out fidayeen attacks in a video accessed by MyNation. However, it is uncertain if Sohail himself learnt it from the internet or got the training from somewhere else.
"The inputs were further developed and field verifications were done. It was ascertained that Mufti Mohd. Suhail and his associates have mobilised funds and have procured weapons, ammunition and explosive material to prepare IED’s and bombs and they plan to carry out explosions and fidayeen attacks at places of importance in & around Delhi and also target crowded places," NIA said spokesperson Alok Mittal said.
A total of 17 people have been detained and 10 have been arrested. It is uncertain whether the suspects were directly recruited by ISIS or working for some associated organisation.
According to NIA spokespersons, “NIA is conducting searches today at 16 locations in UP and Delhi in connection with a new ISIS module styled as 'Harkat ul Harb e Islam.”
According to sources, a maulvi and a civil engineer student of Amity University, along with three others, have been arrested by the NIA from Amroha so far in the case.The Uttar Pradesh Police elite wing ATS was also roped in for the operation.
From Delhi, along with Special cell commandos, the NIA officials raided residential areas in Jafarabad, Seelampur, the border area of Northeast Delhi. The detained suspects have been identified as Mohammad Azam, Anas, Zubair alias Zafar, Zaid and Zuber Malik.
According to investigators, the places raided so far are Amroha, Buxar (Sambha), Lucknow, Ghaziabad, Jafarabad (Delhi), Seemlampur (Delhi) etc. The raids are still going on.
"On receipt of credible information that a group of pro-ISIS individuals have formed a terrorist gang and they are preparing to carry out terrorist attacks targeting vital installations, sensitive locations and crowded places in and around Delhi/NCR, NIA on 20.12.2018, registered a case under sections 120B, 121, 121A, 122 of IPC, Sections 4 & 5 of the Explosive Substances Act and sections 17,18,18 B, 20,38 and 39 of the UA(P)," NIA said.
Officials have recovered several items from the terror module operatives. Twenty-five kilos of explosive material, such as potassium nitrate, ammonium nitrate, sulphur and sugar material paste were seized. Twelve pistols, 150 rounds of live ammunition and one country- made rocket launcher were found during the raids.
Other items that were seized include 112 alarm clocks, mobile phone circuits, batteries, 51 pipes, remote-controlled detonators, wireless and digital doorbells for remote switches, steel containers, electric wires, 91 mobile phones, 134 SIM cards, 3 laptops, knife, sword and ISIS-related literature. Cash worth Rs 7.5 lakh (approximately) was recovered, too.
1. Mufti Mohd. Suhail: Suhail was working in a Madrasa at Hakim Mahtab Uddin Hashmi Road, Amroha. He was presently staying at Jaffrabad, Delhi, and had instructed other team members to procure arms, explosives and other accessories to prepare IED’s and pipe-bombs.
2. Anas Yunus: He was pursuing Civil Engineering at Amity University in Noida. He was instrumental in procuring electrical items, alarm clocks & batteries etc. He has also been accused of furthering the terror conspiracy.
3. Rashid Zafar Raq: He was into garments business.
4. Saeed: He had a welding shop in Amroha.
5. Raees Ahmad: He was the brother of Saeed and had a Karkhana welding shop in Islam Nagar, near Idgah, Amroha. Saeed and Raees had procured huge quantity of explosive material/gun powder (approx.25 kg) for preparing IED’s and pipe bombs. They were also instrumental in fabricating a rocket launcher to carry out terrorist attacks.
6. Zubair Malik: Student of BA 3rd year at a university in Delhi.
7. Zaid Malik: He was the brother of Zabair Malik and was a part of the terror conspiracy. Both the brothers were also instrumental in procuring batteries, connectors, SIM cards on fake documents and mobilising funds for buying material for making bombs.
8. Saqib Iftekar: He was working as Imam in Jama Masjid, Baksar, Uttar Pradesh. He helped Suhail in procuring weapons.
9. Mohd. Irshad: He was an auto-rickshaw driver and was helping Suhail in arranging a hide-out for keeping the material for making IED’s and bombs.
10. Mohd. Azam: He ran a medical shop in Seelampur, Shahdara, Delhi and helped the master-mind in arranging weapons.
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