11 held in connection with Al-Qaeda-inspired terror module: Delhi Police

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The Delhi Police's Special Cell, in a joint operation with police forces from Jharkhand, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, busted an Al-Qaeda-inspired terror module on Thursday and arrested 11 people in connection with it.

According to the police, the module, led by Dr Ishtiyaq from Ranchi, aimed to establish a 'Khilafat' and carry out terrorist activities in India.

"The members of the module have received indoctrination and weapons training at various locations," the police said in a statement.

More arrests are expected in the coming days as the police are interrogating the arrested men.

As per the police, the teams raided 15 places in Ranchi, Jharkhand, and one each in Rajasthan and Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, so far.

They seized various items from the spot, including an AK-47 rifle, a 38-bore revolver, and one air rifle, iron elbow pipe, and hand grenade each, as well as six live cartridges of AK-47, among other materials.

The operation has foiled a potential terrorist threat, and investigations are continuing to uncover more details about the module's plans and activities.

Ahead of the Independence Day celebrations in the national capital, the Delhi Police had put up posters of various terrorists linked with Al-Qaeda and Khalistan and appealed to the citizens to assist the cops in nabbing the accused. Delhi Police had also said that those coming forward with any information regarding the terrorists will be rewarded "suitably" and their names will also be concealed.

According to the police, there are 15 terrorists mentioned in the posters, of whom six are associated with Al-Qaeda. It is not clear if the men arrested on Thursday are the ones mentioned in the posters.

India has been witnessing a sudden rise in the number of terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir in the past few months.

As part of efforts to thwart the Pakistan Army's designs to revive terrorism in the Union Territory, the Indian Army and other security agencies have redeployed troops and special forces in the higher reaches of areas south of Pir Panjal to carry out search and destroy operations. The Indian Army has now moved the troops to carry out searches in the forested areas with a proactive approach to take out terrorists who have been hiding in natural caves and man-made underground hideouts, sources told ANI.

(With ANI inputs)