The Uttar Pradesh Police on Tuesday said that there is not one but two terrorists inside the house in the outskirts of Lucknow. "The operation is still on. We had thought initially that there is one youth inside, but there are two.We are trying to arrest them as soon as possible," Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Daljeet said.​

An encounter between the UP Anti-Terrorist Squad to flush out a suspected terrorist holed up the house started in the evening. The terrorist may be linked to Bhopal-Ujjain train blast which happened this morning. According to an Zee News report, the suspect, Saiful, is linked to the Islamic State.

Intemittent firing continues from both sides, chilli bombs and tear gas also being used by security forces

Thakurganj operation: Intemittent firing continues from both sides, chilli bombs and tear gas also being used by security forces #Lucknow pic.twitter.com/FBMTYSdz84 — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 7, 2017

The suspect was hiding in a house in Kakori area. The densely populated neighbourhood was cordoned off and at least 20 commandos were involved in the operation, police said. "The operation is the result of the UP police receiving specific inputs regarding possible terror suspects in the state," Chaudhary said, adding the terror suspect might be linked to train blast in Madhya Pradesh this morning.

At least eight persons were today injured, two of them seriously, in the blast in Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train near Jabdi station in Shajapur district. Three persons have been detained in connection with the blast in passenger train. The ATS operation came hours before the final phase of polling in Assembly election covering 40 seats in eastern Uttar Pradesh.

According to locals, at around 3.30 PM over 30 policemen started vacating the houses in the locality to corner the suspect. "As the suspect got wind of their plans, he started firing at police party. Gunshots were fired from both the sides," local residents said. IG ATS Aseem Arun summoned elite commandos from Bijnaur police facility. The ATS team is trying to ensure that the suspect runs out of ammunition before barging inside. It has surrounded the area. IG Lucknow Zone A Satish Ganesh said, "The suspect was not surrendering. Instead he was resorting to firing. Chilli bombs were used to smoke him out."

Arun, who was conducting the operation, said, "When the police knocked the door (of the house where the terror suspect is holed up), he closed the door, and then there was a sound of pistol fire, which proved that he has weapons. "We are not in a hurry to finish the operation, but want to catch him alive. Hence, we are using chilly powder," he said. He said the suspect resorted to intermittent firing. "We have withheld firing from our side. It appears only one person is hiding inside the house," he said.

According to the Indian Express, the security officials want find out the amount and kind of weapons the terror suspect is carrying with him before planning the next move.

The officials may also storm into the house and neutralise the suspect.

Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi has informed Home Minister Rajnath Singh and the Centre is monitoring the situation closely. A high level meeting is going-on between officials the Centre and the police.

The UP Police was tipped off by central intelligence agencies, Chaudhary said, and added that one arrest was made in Kanpur and there could be more than one terror suspect in Lucknow. He also said, "We have detained someone from Kanpur. However, it is too early to link this suspected terrorist to the train blast."

He also mentioned that terror linkage, connection to Ujjain train blast and details of the module would be revealed only after interrogation of the suspects.

Police said that the area where the suspected terrorist is holed up is densely populated. "We would be able to comment on the motive of the person once he is arrested. There is no point in sharing any input before the operation was over," the ADG said.

He said it was a tactical operation, aimed at incurring minimum loss. UP DGP Javeed Ahmed, when contacted, said the UP Police was trying to convince the person holed up in the house to surrender. To a question on the incident taking place a day before the final phase of polling in UP tomorrow, the DGP said, "The conduct of polls in UP has been so far peaceful."

Terror alert across the country

The Centre today sounded an alert across the country in the wake of a suspected terrorist, having possible links to a train blast in Madhya Pradesh, hiding in the capital city of Uttar Pradesh.

"We are alert. We have sounded an alert all over the country," Union Minister of State for Home, Hansraj Ahir told reporters here. He said the Uttar Pradesh Police was doing a commendable job to nab the terrorist holed up in a house in Kakori area in the outskirts of Lucknow. "Terrorists do not have any ideology and create disturbances whenever they get a chance. The police is on the job to nab such elements," he said.​