At least two militants are holed up inside a home in Thakuganj, Lucknow since early Tuesday evening. One of the suspects has been identified as Mohammed Saiful and the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad's commandos are involved in the operation to flush the suspects from the Haji Ali Colony, Thakurganj home.

The standoff began hours after a blast on a Bhopal-Ujjain train in which at least ten people were injured. Madhya Pradesh's DIG confirmed the blast was a terror attack, and that five people have been arrested in the matter in the MP.

It was the arrests in Madhya Pradesh that ultimately led to the Lucknow siege. Following the arrests, UP police carried out raids in Uttar Pradesh, leading to the arrests of two men in Kanpur and another one in Etawah.

All the men - the five arrested in Madhya Pradesh, the three in Uttar Pradesh and those involved in the Lucknow standoff - are suspected to be part of a ISIS-inspired module that was behind Tuesday morning's Bhopal-Ujjain train blast.

The operation and the blast both come a day before the seventh phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh, but there have been no indications that the developments are linked to the five-state Assembly elections, the results for which will be announced March 11.

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DGP Javeed Ahmed once again calls meeting of ADG and other senior ATS and STF officials.

The UP police additional director general of police has said that operations are in their final stage.

Heavy firing has started once again at the standoff site in Thakurganj, Lucknow.

The statement says that Saifulla and one more suspect are holed up in the Lucknow house.

Three men - two from Kanpur and one from Etawah - were arrested in the raids.

Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh police has issued a statement, confirming that the Madhya Pradesh train blast and subsequent arrest of suspects in that state led to the raids in Uttar Pradesh.

The UP ADG has said the operation will soon be over.

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

After conflicting reports regarding Saiful's death, it has emerged that at least two more suspects are inside the house.

There is a possibility that more terrorists may be holed up in the house.

The ATS team has now resorted to using a gas cutter to break the house gate.

The effort seems to be focused on nabbing the suspect alive. Police teams haven't fired a single bullet and have limited themselves to using stun grenades and chili pepper bombs.

National Security Guard on standby, could move to Lucknow to assist ATS.

The house's caretaker had given four youngsters access to the home. However, only Mohammed Saiful, the suspect, is holed up inside right now.

The house where the suspect is holed up belongs to a Saudi Arabia-based person named Badshah.

The suspect has been boxed in, and the operation is limited in its scope,Chaudhary has said.

The suspect has no hostages,ADG Chaduhary confirms.

Chaudhary adds they are making efforts to nab him alive. They have getting family members to convince him to surrender.

Additional Director General of Uttar Pradesh Police Daljit Chaudhary says they are unable to link the suspect to any organisation yet, but confirms that his name is Mohammed Saiful.

The National Capital Region has been put on high alert following the Lucknow encounter.

Noida police is on high alert and is carrying out preventive checking in malls and cars, the SSP of Noida said.

Wasim Arun IG, ATS, says the team is using chilli pepper bomb in an efort to catch the suspect alive.

Meanwhile, the UP police has started carrying out raids in different locations across the state. Police have also carried raids in Kanpur, where a terror suspect was nabbed earlier today.

The Union Home Ministry is keeping a close watch on the situation. The ministry is in touch with UP police and intelligence agencies.

UP Director General of Police says they are trying to convince the suspect to surrender.

An ambulance has reached the encounter spot.

Continuous firing heard from inside the house. Police has used fired stun grenades inside the house.

The encounter is in its last stage, and ATS team has stormed the house.

Mohammed Saiful, the suspect in a standoff with the UP ATS, is a suspect in the train blast.

In a related development, the Madhya Pradesh Inspector General (law and order) has confirmed that the Bhopal-Ujjain train blast was a terrorist attack.

Sources say more terror suspects could be hiding in the state. Search operations on.

UP-based ISIS module carried out the blast in a train in Bhopal today morning, sources tell India Today. Three suspects picked up from Madhya Pradesh. Two located in Uttar Pradesh. One arrested from Kanpur, other one holed up in Thakurganj.

Uttar Pradesh police's commandos will be used for the operation.

The tip off regarding the suspects came in from outside the state.

One man was arrested from Kanpur.

Chowdhary added, that tip off regarding the supsect came in today morning. Following the inputs, UP police dispatched two teams, one Kanpur and the other to Lucknow.

Will only be able to find out about the suspect's links and background once we conduct investigations, he adds.

We are trying to arrest him alive...but can't say say anything more on the operation, the ADG adds.

Additional Director General (law and order), Daljeet Choudhary said the suspect is from Lucknow and has weapons on him.

Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi briefs Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

Firing as resumed between cops and the suspect(s).

He added that there may be more than one suspected terrorist.

UP DGP has said that the operation to flush out the suspect is ongoing.

According to MHA sources, Uttar Pradesh police received a tip off regarding the suspect from authorities in southern states.

On being asked to surrender Saifulah refused saying 'I want to attain shahadat'.

A meeting between is on between the UP principal secretary and the DGP.

Inspector General of the ATS is personally leading the operation.

Firing was earlier reported from the area, but has now stopped.

The ATS team is using tear gas to flush him out and firing has been reported from the area.

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