LI NETWORK
Today National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested 9 Al-Qaeda terrorists from different locations from West Bengal and Kerala after conducting raids in the two states.
These suspected Al Qaeda operatives for allegedly planning a terror strike in various parts of the country at the behest of handlers from Pakistan and were planning to go to Kashmir for weapon delivery..
NIA has busted Al-Qaeda modules in Murshidabad of West Bengal and Ernakulam in Kerala. Among the 9 Al-Qaeda terrorists, 3 have been arrested from Ernakulam and 6 have been arrested from Murshidabad.
Accused are said to be in their early twenties and work as labourers. The terrprists have been identified as: Murshid Hasan, Iyakub Biswas and Mosaraf Hossen, currently residents of Ernakulam in Kerala.
Kerala Police siad nine out of three arrested from Ernakulam were natives of Bengal and were residing in and around Perumbavur, the largest guest workers settlement in Kerala.Six others arrested from Bengal are Najmus Sakib, Abu Sufiyan, Mainul Mondal, Leu Yean Ahmed, Al Mamun Kamal and Atitur Rehman, all residents of Murshidabad in West Bengal.
The Nationa Agency issued statement, “Preliminary investigation has revealed that these individuals were radicalised by Pakistan-based Al-Qaeda terrorists through social media and were motivated to undertake attacks at multiple places including Delhi and the National Capital Region.”
NIA spokesperson DIG Sonia Narang said, “The module was actively indulging in fund raising and a few members of the gang were planning to travel to New Delhi to procure arms and ammunition.
NIA said in a statement,“NIA had learnt about an inter-state module of Al-Qaeda operatives at various locations in India including West Bengal and Kerala. 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 NIA also agency claimed to have recovered “large quantity of 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” from the accused.
These arrests have pre-empted possible terror attacks in various parts of the country.”A top official of NIA confirmed that the 9 accused were under surveillance after the agency received inputs on their terror links.
NIA had learnt about an inter-state module of Al-Qaeda operatives operating from various locations in India, including West-Bengal and Kerala.The group was planning to undertake terror attacks at vital installations across the country with an aim to kill innocent people and spread terror.
“As per preliminary investigation, these individuals were radicalised by Pakistan-based Al-Qaeda terrorists on social media and were motivated to undertake attacks at multiple places including the National Capital Region. For this purpose, 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. These arrests have pre-empted possible terrorist attacks in various parts of the country,” the NIA said.
Large quantities 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 hae been seized from their possession.
NIA will produce arrested terrorists before the concerned courts in Kerala and West Bengal for police custody and further investigation.