Arrest of Al-Qaeda terrorists: NIA busts huge attack plan

Kochi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) officially confirmed the arrest of nine terrorists associated with a Pakistan-sponsored module of the al-Qaeda on Saturday after conducting simultaneous raids at several locations in Kerala and West Bengal. Aluva Rural SP also confirmed the arrests of the terrorists.

According to NIA, the arrested terrorists were planning to launch attacks at different cities in the country and were actively raising funds for the purpose. They had also planned to bring in ammunition from Delhi.

The raids were conducted in the early hours at Ernakulam in Kerala and Murshidabad in West Bengal. The 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 launch terror attacks at vital installations in the country with an aim to kill innocent people, an official said.

The NIA registered a case on September 11 and launched a probe. The agency arrested six terrorists from West Bengal and three from Kerala during the raids.

Incriminating materials, including digital devices, documents, jihadi literature, sharp weapons, country-made firearms, a locally-fabricated body armour, articles and literature for making home-made explosive devices have been seized from their possession, the official said.

The photos of the arrested from Ernakulam were released by NIA. They were staying here posing as migrant workers engaged in construction works.

Murshid Hassan was arrested from Pathalam where he has been staying for the past two months along with four others. The house owner told media that no further information is known about him. He had furnished the copies of ID card to the house owner and kept the original with him, house owner further said. A person staying with Hassan said they also didn’t know much about him.

The terrorists were identified after a night-long investigation. NIA arrested them with the help of Aluva Rural Police and State Anti-Terrorist Squad.

One of the arrested was working as a salesman in a textile shop in Perumbavoor.

More probe into the contacts of these terrorists are underway.