Al-Qaeda Module Planning Terrorist Attacks Busted By NIA; Nine Arrested From Bengal, Kerala

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested nine militants linked with the Al Qaeda terror group, who were planning attacks at several key installations in Delhi-NCR.

The nine men were arrested by NIA in multiple raids across West Bengal and Kerala.

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NIA carried out the simultaneous raids at several locations in Kerala's Ernakulam and West Bengal's Murshidabad after learning about an inter-state module of Al Qaeda operatives at various locations in India.

Planning terrorist attacks

"The group was planning to undertake terrorist attacks at vital installations in India with an aim to kill innocent people and strike terror in their minds," the spokesperson on NIA said, adding that it has registered a case on September 11.

The official said that NIA has arrested six terrorists from West-Bengal and three from Kerala in the early morning raids.

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Najmus Sakib, Abu Sufiyan, Mainul Mondal, Leu Yean Ahmed, Al Mamun Kamal and Atitur Rehman, all residents of Murshidabad.

The three terrorists from Kerala have been identified as Murshid Hasan, Iyakub Biswas and Mosaraf Hossen, all of them who were originally from Bengal, but were working in Kerala.

Large quantity of incriminating materials found

During the raids, a large quantity of incriminating materials including digital devices, documents, jihadi literature, sharp weapons, country-made firearms, a locally fabricated body armour, articles and literature used for making home-made explosive devices have been seized from their possession.

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"As per preliminary investigation, these individuals were radicalised by the Pakistan-based Al Qaeda terrorists on social media and were motivated to undertake attacks at multiple places including the National Capital Region," the official said.

Module actively indulged in raising funds

The official said that the module was actively indulging in fund raising and a few members of gang were planning to travel to New Delhi to procure arms and ammunition.

However, these arrests have pre-empted possible terrorist attacks in various parts of the country.

Recently, the United Nations (UN) in a report had warned that ¡°significant numbers of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorists¡± in Kerala and Karnataka.

The 26th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team concerning ISIS, al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities said that the al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) operates under the Taliban umbrella from Nimruz, Helmand and Kandahar provinces of Afghanistan.