From engineering student to auto-driver: Who formed ISIS-inspired group busted by NIA

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday busted a suspected ISIS-inspired terror module after conducting searches across Uttar Pradesh and New Delhi, arresting at least 10 people allegedly planning to attack crowded places and political personalities, officials said. The fairly-new group has been identified as 'Harkat-ul-Harb-e-Islam’. NIA inspector general Alok Mittal told reporters that searches were carried out in Delhi's Seelampur locality, UP's Lucknow, Amroha and Hapur districts where a huge quantity of explosives, a country-made rocket launcher, 100 mobiles and 135 SIM cards were recovered.

Searches were carried out at 17 locations in Delhi and UP from where 16 suspects were detained and 10 of them were arrested," he said. "The level of preparation showed they were planning to attacks in near fidayen attacks," Mittal added.

#WATCH NIA conducts a raid in Delhi's Jafrabad area in connection with a new ISIS module styled as 'Harkat ul Harb e Islam' . pic.twitter.com/GL1GjOa1tq

— ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2018

Five people were picked up from the western Uttar Pradesh district of Amroha following a joint operation with the UP Anti-Terrorist Squad, Inspector General ATS Asim Arun said in Lucknow.

The group was under NIA surveillance for some time following inputs of their suspicious activities 

Following accused have been arrested by the NIA:

1. Mohd Suhail, a native of Amroha in UP, was working as Mufti at a Madrasa at Hakim Mahtab Uddin Hashmi Road. He was presently staying at Jaffrabad, Delhi, and had tasked other team members to procure arms, explosives and other accessories to prepare IED’s and pipe-bombs.

2. Anas Yunus, 24, a resident of Jafrabad, Delhi, is pursuing civil engineering at Amity University in Noida. “He was instrumental in procuring electrical items, alarm clocks and batteries etc. in furtherance of their terror conspiracy,” an NIA press statement said.

3. Rashid Zafar, 23, a resident of Jafrabad, Delhi, is into garments business.

Also Read | NIA arrests 10 after busting ISIS-like module, says they wanted to target politicians, important personalities

4.  Saeed Sayeed, 28, a resident of Saidapur Imma, Amroha, UP, and has a welding shop in Amroha.

5. Raees Ahmad, a resident of Saidapur Imma, Amroha, UP, has a karkhana (welding shop) at Islam Nagar near Idgah in the town.

The two brothers Saeed and Raees had procured a huge quantity of explosive material, gun powder (approx. 25 kg) for preparing IEDs and pipe bombs, and were instrumental in fabricating a rocket launcher to carry out terrorist attacks.

6. Zubair Malik, a resident of Jaffrabad, Delhi, is studying in BA third-year at University in Delhi.

7. Zaid Malik, 22, a resident of Jaffrabad, Delhi.

Both the brothers, Zaid and Zubair, were part of the terror conspiracy and were instrumental in procuring batteries, connectors, SIM cards on fake documents and mobilising funds for buying bomb-making material.

8. Saqib Iftekar, 26, is a resident of Simbhaoli, Hapur, Uttar Pradesh. He is working as Imam in Jama Masjid, Baksar, Uttar Pradesh.  He helped the master-mind Mufti Mohd. Suhail in procuring weapons.

9. Mohd. Irshad, is a resident of Mohalla Qazi Zada, Amroha, Uttar Pradesh. He is an auto-rickshaw driver and was helping Mohd Suhail in arranging a hide-out for keeping the material for making IEDs and bombs.

Also Read | NIA raids 16 locations across Delhi, UP, ISIS-like network unearthed 

 10. Mohd Azam, 35, a resident of Chauhan Bajar, Gashi Mendu, in Delhi.  He runs a medical shop in Seelampur, in the national capital and helped the master-mind in arranging weapons.

“Apart from these accused, some other suspects are being examined. The arrested accused would be produced before the NIA Special Court in the Patiala Court House, New Delhi, on Thursday,” the NIA statement added.