The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has conducted raids at seven places in western Uttar Pradesh and Punjab in connection with the investigation of the recently registered case of Islamic State(IS)-inspired module, which was allegedly planning suicide attacks and serial blasts, targeting politicians and government installations, in Delhi and other parts of north India. A Maulvi has been detained from Ludhiana for his alleged links with the IS.

This is the second leg of raids being conducted by the top investigating agency in connection with the terror module active in India. The NIA said that searches were being conducted based on inputs from interrogation of the people arrested for allegedly being part of a new IS module called 'Harkat-ul-Harb-e-Islam'.

The agency has arrested 12 people in this connection since December last year, the latest of these being arrest of Muhammad Absar (24) from Hapur on 12 January.

On 26 December, the NIA raided 16 locations across Uttar Pradesh and New Delhi and arrested five people for alleged connections to Harkat-ul-Harb-e-Islam. The head of the said module, Suhail, was also arrested from Uttar Pradesh's Amroha during the last set of raids. The agency searched various locations in several districts of Western Uttar Pradesh including Meerut, Hapur and Muzaffarnagar to trace suspects with links to terror outfits.

Inspector General of Police of Uttar Pradesh ATS Asim Arun confirmed that a large number of explosives such as ammonium nitrate have been recovered in the raids, adding that the suspects were planning a big terror strike. A pistol has also been recovered from the raids.

The agency had seized a locally made rocket launcher, material for suicide vests and 112 alarm clocks to be used as timers besides recovering 25 kilogrammes of explosive material — Potassium Nitrate, Ammonium Nitrate and Sulphur.

The group had allegedly purchased remote-controlled cars and wireless doorbells to use their circuits in assembling remote-controlled improvised explosive devices.

Besides, the NIA had also seized steel containers, electric wires, 91 mobile phones, 134 SIM cards, 3 laptops, knife, sword, ISIS-related literature during the searches conducted earlier.

In a similar but unrelated incident, the NIA had conducted raids on the properties owned by seven persons in various parts of Tamil Nadu over their alleged links with the dreaded Islamic State group. The raids were conducted at Otteri in Chennai, Tindivanam near Villupuram, Kuniyamuthur, Ukkadam, and Variety Hall Road in Coimbatore district between 6.45 am to 8.30 am on 19 December, Hindustan Times reported. Many Kashmir based students were arrested last year in Punjab for their links with terror groups.

With inputs from agencies

Updated Date: January 17, 2019 14:14:49 IST

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