Two youth, who were supposedly radicalised and sent over to Af-Pak region as recruits for Al Qaida by Mohamad Asif, an alleged operative of Al Qaida in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), were students of country's premier Jamia Millia Islamia University.

The claim was recorded in interrogation report of Asif (41), who was arrested by the Special Cell of Delhi Police on December 14. Furthermore, the third person arrested from UP's Sambhal district on Wednesday evening, is an uncle of one of the youths, who are now believed to be fighting as mid-level soldiers in AQIS, after they successfully crossed over to Pakistan through Iran in 2013.

According to the Special Cell, the two youth, Rehan and Sharjeel, are from the national capital's Welcome area and Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh respectively. Sharjeel's uncle, Zaffar Masood, the latest arrest in the alleged AQIS module, also hails from Sambhal.

Earlier it had come to fore that Maulana Asim Umar, who was in September 2014 chosen to be the Amir (head) of AQIS by Al Qaida chief Ayman al Zawahiri, was a resident of Sambhal. Umar crossed over to Pakistan in 1995 and had fought alongside Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, a group originally formed in 1985 after breaking out from Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (HUJI). In 1993, the group merged with HUJI to form Harkat-ul-Ansar under the leadership of Abdelkader Mokhtari, an Algerian commander who later came to be known for his participation in the Bosnian war.

"Zaffar, the uncle of one of the youths, has told us that the claims made by Asif might have credibility as his nephew had spent quite a time in Delhi as a student," said a senior police officer. Local police in Welcome when contacted by dna said, "We are not aware of the whereabouts of anyone by the name of Rehan". The Special Cell said that their investigators are figuring out the addresses of the youth. Officials did not specify whether they had any fresh information about the two youth.

Asif, along with Sharjeel and Rehan, is said to have entered into Pakistan through Iran in June 2013 after procuring travellers' visa on the pretext of performing ziyarat at the shrine of the late Grand Ayatollah Khomaini in Tehran.

"Asif was in touch with Zaffar who introduced him to Sharjeel. Asif motivated Sharjeel to join AQIS who in return persuaded Rehaan to do the same," said a senior police officer.A person code named Qasim was Asif's main contact and also facilitated his travel after the duo got in touch through social media in 2012.

"After landing in Tehran, Asif is said to have contacted Qasim who approached them at the hotel where they were staying . The three then travelled from Zahedan, to Sarwan where they were picked up by another contact of Qasim. From Sarawan, they reached the Iran-Pakistan border and crossed it over foot," said Arvind Deep, Special Commissioner, Special Cell. The three reached North Waziristan after crossing Quetta, Ghazni and South Waziristan.

Asif, after dropping Sharjeel and Rehan in North Waziristan, is said to have returned by the same route in September, 2014 but was apprehended by Iranian Security agencies on his way.The contacts of Al Qaeda ensured that he was transited to Turkey and after some days, accused Asif approached Indian embassy where he told the officials there that he had lost his passport. He was sent back to India on emergency certificate.

Police custodyMeanwhile, Zaffar and Abdul Rehman (37), were remanded to 12-day police custody by a Delhi court. Rahman, who was arrested from Jagatpur area of Cuttack in Odisha, runs a Madrasa. Rahman, according to the Special cell is the brother of one Tariq Ali who was arrested after 2001 bombing of American cultural centre in Kolkata.