New Delhi: The Delhi Police have picked up Idian Mujahideen (IM) operative Aftab alias Farooq alias Roshan from Purnia in Bihar. With this, a total of seven IM operatives, along with Farooq, have been arrested so far.
Acting on a tip off by Intelligence Bureau (IB), a special branch team of Delhi Police, along with Purnia police, raided Khatahaat village under Jalalgarh police station on Monday and nabbed the Pakistani IM operative identified as Aftab alias Farooq alias Roshan, said Purnia superintendent of police Amit Lodha.
Arif had entered Araria district in Bihar from Nepal a few months ago and visited Purnia district from where he was arrested, he said.
The IM operative was taken away by Delhi police team to Delhi for interrogation, Lodha said, but refused to provide details of alleged subversive activities of the operative.
Officials of the special cell of the Delhi Police on November 30 arrested the six alleged terrorists from Delhi, Bihar and Chennai and recovered two AK-47 rifles, a 9 mm pistol, 5 kgs of explosives and 64 cartridges from the accused.
Going by the recoveries made, it is believed that the group was planning to target other places in the country.
Sources said that the Indian Mujahideen module believed to be behind the three biggest terror attacks in the last two years - the German Bakery blast, Chinnaswamy Stadium blast and the Jama Masjid firing took place in Delhi.
The module hardly relied on technology and maintained a high degree of secrecy with each member being informed only about his specific task. Group members were well trained in the handling of sophisticated weapons and making explosives.
All the arrested operatives hail from north Bihar. Police sources say this area could well be the new recruiting centre for the Indian Mujahideen.
But for the police the top priority for now is the arrest of Ahmad Siddi Bappa or Yashin Ahmad, the man believed to be the leader of this group and the mastermind of Indian Mujahideen's operations in the country.
These arrests assume significance simply because the police believe this is the only active module of the Indian Mujahideen functioning since 2009. The interrogation of these men will give security agencies a chance to build more intelligence about the working of the group and the pattern of funding and training of terrorist operatives.
(With additional information from PTI)
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