New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) today said it has busted a Pakistan-sponsored al-Qaeda module planning to attack vital installations in India.
Nine terrorists including the leader of the module were arrested early today morning in simultaneous raids at Murshidabad in West Bengal and Ernakulam in Kerala.
As per the preliminary investigation, the nine arrested accused were radicalised by Pakistan-based al-Qaeda terrorists on social media and motivated to undertake attacks at multiple places including Delhi National Capital Region. For this purpose, the module ā led by Murshid Hasan, a resident of Ernakulam who is among the 9 arrested ā was actively indulging in fundraising and a few members of the 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, said NIA.
“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,” a statement said.
While six terrorists were arrested from Bengal, three terrorists were arrested from Kerala in the early morning raids, it added.
“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,” the NIA said and added that these individuals were radicalised by Pakistan-based Al-Qaeda terrorists on social media and were motivated to undertake attacks at multiple places, including Delhi-NCR.