The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted searches across 17 locations in Uttar Pradesh and New Delhi in connection with its probe into a new ISIS-inspired module on Wednesday, 26 December.
The officials at the NIA confirmed that the module was in the advanced stage of carrying out a series of blasts.
“Level of preparation,” the Inspector General of NIA said, “suggests their aim was to carry out explosions in near future by remote control blasts and fidayeen attacks. This is a new ISIS-inspired module which was in touch with a foreign agent. Identities of the suspects is yet to be established.”
The 10 men arrested by NIA from Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, as members of a new ISIS-inspired module 'Harkat ul Harb e Islam', include a student from Delhi University, civil engineering student, businessman and auto-rickshaw driver.
Here is a brief profile of the ten men held:
MADARASA MUFTI FROM UTTAR PRADESH
29-years-old Mufti Mohd Suhail, a native of Amroha was working as Mufti in a Madarasa at Hakim Mahtab Uddin Hashmi Road in Uttar Pradesh. According to the NIA officials, he was presently staying in Jaffrabad in Delhi and had tasked other team members to procure arms, explosives and other accessories to prepare IEDs and pipe-bombs.
CIVIL ENGINEERING STUDENT FROM NOIDA
24-year-old Anas Yunus, a resident of Jafrabad in north east Delhi in among the ten men held. Yunus is pursuing civil engineering at a university in Noida. As a member of the module, he was instrumental in procuring electrical items, alarm clocks and batteries in furtherance of their terror conspiracy, the officials at NIA confirmed.
BUSINESSMAN FROM DELHI
Rashid Zafar Raq, a 23 year old, is a resident of Jafrabad in Delhi. He was a part of garments business and his role in the module has not been specified by the NIA.
SHOP OWNERS FROM UTTAR PRADESH
28-year-old Saeed, a welding shop owner in Amroha in Uttar Pradesh is also among the ten held.
His brother, Raees Ahmad, another welding shop owner from Amroha in Uttar Pradesh was also arrested by the NIA.
The two brothers, according to the NIA, Saeed and Raees had procured huge quantity of explosive material and gun powder, weighing approximately 25 kg for preparing IED’s and pipe bombs. The two were reportedly instrumental in fabricating a rocket launcher to carry out the terrorist attacks.
DELHI UNIVERSITY STUDENT AND HIS BROTHER
The youngest among the 10 held, 20-year-old, Zubair Malik is a 3rd year student at a college in Delhi University. His brother, Zaid Malik was also arrested for being a part of the ISIS-inspired module.
Both brothers, Zaid and Zubair were part of the terror conspiracy and were instrumental in procuring batteries, connectors, SIM cards on fake documents and mobilising funds for buying bomb-making material, the officials at NIA said.
IMAM FROM UTTAR PRADESH
Saqib Iftekar from Uttar Pradesh was working as an Imam in Jama Masjid in Baksar in Uttar Pradesh. The 26-year-old helped the mastermind Mufti Mohd Suhail in procuring weapons, the NIA officials said.
AUTO RICKSHAW DRIVER FROM UTTAR PRADESH
An auto-rickshaw driver Mohd. Irshad also from Amroha in Uttar Pradesh was arrested by NIA. The NIA said he was helping Mohd. Suhail in arranging a hide-out for keeping the material for making IED’s and bombs.
PHARMACIST FROM DELHI
A 35-year-old pharmacist Mohd. Azam from Gashi Mendu in Delhi was arrested on Wednesday, along with other nine men. Azam, according to the NIA, runs a medical shop in Seelampur in Shahdara in northeast Delhi and helped the mastermind in arranging weapons.
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