Al Qaeda plot foiled: 4 terror suspects nabbed throughout 3 Indian cities with Pakistan ties

The Gujarat Police’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Wednesday (July 23) nabbed 4 males, aged 20 to 25, suspected of ties to Al Qaeda and planning assaults on main targets throughout India. The arrests happened in Gujarat, Delhi, and Noida; with two suspects caught in Gujarat and one every in Delhi and Noida.

The 4 males have been recognized as: Mohd Fardeen, Sefullah Kureshi, Zeeshan Ali, and Mohd Faiq. They have been reportedly linked by way of a social media app. Authorities are digging deeper, and early investigations counsel the group had cross-border connections.

Al Qaeda strengthening presence in area

A current UN report warned that Al Qaeda is strengthening its regional arm, Al-Qaeda within the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), to broaden its attain in locations like Jammu and Kashmir, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.

The thirty second report from the UN Safety Council’s Analytical Help and Sanctions Monitoring Group, launched this week, said, “one Member State assessed that Al-Qaeda is shaping AQIS (Al-Qaeda within the Indian Subcontinent) to unfold its operations into neighbouring Bangladesh,” Jammu and Kashmir, and Myanmar.

The report estimates Al Qaeda has about 200 fighters within the area, led by emir Osama Mehmood.

It additionally famous, “The group makes use of Afghanistan as an ideological and logistical hub to mobilise and recruit new fighters whereas covertly rebuilding its exterior operations functionality,” regardless that its capacity to hold out large-scale assaults is presently restricted, whereas its intent stays robust.

ATS DIG Sunil Joshi stated they obtained data on June tenth that 5 accounts on Instagram have been spreading ideologies of Al Qaeda within the nation.

DIG Joshi stated: “Gujarat ATS Dy SP Harsh Upadhyay obtained data on tenth June that there are 5 Instagram accounts that are propagating the ideologies of Al Qaeda within the nation. They have been sharing their content material on a non secular foundation, towards democracy, towards India. The enter was shared with senior officers. A technical crew was fashioned…Complete 4 accused have been recognized.”

“Of them, Fardeen Shaikh is r/o Ahmedabad, Mohd Faiq is r/o Delhi, Zeeshan Ali is r/o Noida and Saifullah Qureshi is r/o Modasa. All these 4 have been monitored…It was discovered that not simply their social media but additionally their bodily motion is suspicious. An enormous crew was fashioned…On the finish of the operation, we have been in a position to arrest all 4 suspects,” the officer stated.

“We checked numerous information on their telephone. They have been disseminating numerous content material of Al Qaeda throughout India…A sword and Al Qaeda materials have been seized from Fardeen. They fashioned totally different teams on Instagram and promoted terrorist ideologies, they created content material for the implementation of Shariat as an alternative of democracy in India. Mohd Faiq was in touch with just a few Pakistani Instagram accounts which offered him materials for jihadi actions…Now we have invoked Sections 13, 18 , 38, 39 of UAPA and Sections 113, 152, 196 and 68 of BNS and registered FIR. Saifullah and Fardeen have been produced earlier than the Court docket in the present day they usually have despatched to 14-day remand,” he stated.

“The remaining two accused can be produced earlier than Court docket tomorrow…Now we have recovered paperwork on Operation Sindoor from Fardeen. Additionally, the posts they made at the moment on Operation Sindoor have been anti-Indian Govt, pro-Pakistani and instigating materials on spiritual foundation…”