An official said the Delhi Police conducted an operation alongside the police forces of the respective states, leading to the arrest of 11 people belonging to an Al Qaeda terror module.
The Delhi Police said it has busted an inter-state ‘”terror module” of the dreaded Al Qaeda terrorist group, and arrested 11 suspects, and detaining three others from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Jharkhand.
An official said the Delhi Police, after receiving intelligence inputs, conducted an operation alongside the police forces of the respective states, leading to the arrest of 11 people across three states.
6 arrested in Bhiwandi, 5 in Ranchi
Six people, identified as Hasan Ansari, Enamul Ansari, Altaf Ansari, Arshad Khan, Umar Farooq and Shahbaz Ansari, all natives of Jharkhand– were arrested from Rajasthan’s Bhiwandi where they were arms training from the past few days., the officer said.
According to a Delhi Police statement, a similar operation was conducted in Jharkhand capital Ranchi, where five suspects, identified as Dr Ishtiyaq Ahmed, Motiur, Rizwan, Mufti Rahmatullah and Faizan– were arrested.
“The module, as per current state of operations, was being led by one Dr. Ishtiyaq of Ranchi (Jharkhand), and it was aspiring to declare ‘khilafat’ and execute serious terrorist activities within the country,” the statement said.
Recruits given arms training in Aravalli Hills
A senior officer claimed the members of the terror module were given arms training at various locations, including in the jungles of the Aravalli Hills in Rajasthan, adding a massive operation was launched in the hill’s jungles to nab the suspects.
Meanwhile, three more suspects were detained for questioning by the Delhi Police in Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh.
Module plotted terror attack in north India
A PTI report, quoting official sources said teams of the Delhi Police Special Cell have conducted raids in 15 places across three states, and it is suspected that the module was planning to execute a terror attack in north India during the upcoming festive season.
A senior police officer, privy to the operations, said that the Al Qaeda module has been active for the past few months and its members connected through social media, the report said.
A case under section of 61 (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was registered by the Special Cell on July 15, and since then, the anti-terror unit was collecting details of the suspects, he said.
Officials said raids are being conducted to recover arms, ammunition and documents.
(With PTI inputs)