The National Investigative Agency (NIA) in a joint operation with the Uttar Pradesh anti-terrorism squad on Wednesday conducted searches in 17 locations in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh in connection with a new ISIS module named ‘Harkat ul Harb-e-Islam’.
As per NIA, a maulvi, a civil engineering student from Amity University in Noida, third year BA student, an auto-rickshaw driver, welding shop owner and a garments business owner are among those who are accused and suspects. A woman believed to be linked to the module is also detained and is being questioned.
The NIA has detained ten people for interrogation, from which five have been detained from Amroha itself. The NIA IG in a press briefing said that their level of preparedness suggests they wanted to carry out explosions in near future by remote control blasts and fidayeen attacks. He added that this is a new ISIS-inspired terror-module and they were in touch with a foreign agent.
As per NIA, a total amount of Rs. 7.5 lakh, 100 mobile phones and 135 sim cards were recovered along with laptops. Some searches are still underway. 10 of the initial 16 suspects are arrested by the NIA. As per the NIA, the module was largely self-funded and some members had even stolen gold from their homes to raise the funds.
Officials confirmed that they were planning to attack Delhi police headquarters, RSS office and other “vital installations” and important personalities in the national capital and in UP ahead of Republic Day celebrations next month.
Parallel raids were conducted in Simbhaoli, Lucknow, 6-7 places in Delhi, mostly Seelampur and other places.
In east Delhi’s Jafarabad area, the NIA carried out searches along with the Delhi Police’s Special Cell and arrested five ISIS terrorists namely Md. Azam, Anas, Zubair Zafar, Zaid and Zubair Mallik and recovered seven pistols and swords. ISIS flags have also been siezed from the suspects who had pledged alliance with the Islamic State.
Several sophisticated weapons and explosives like Ammonium Nitrate, pistols and one grenade launcher were recovered along with jihadi literature.