Ranchi, Jan 12 (IANS) The Delhi and Jharkhand Police have uncovered a plan to establish a training camp for the terrorist organisation Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) on Nakata Hill, located at the border of Ranchi and Latehar districts in Jharkhand.
This revelation emerged during the interrogation of AQIS operatives arrested in a joint operation conducted by the Delhi Police’s Special Cell and the Jharkhand Police’s Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) two days ago.
Shahbaz Ansari, a key operative arrested two days ago from the Senha police station area of Lohardaga, provided crucial information about AQIS’s activities in Jharkhand during the interrogation.
The mastermind behind the AQIS plans in the region was Dr Ishtiaq Ahmed, a radiologist at a private hospital in Ranchi. Dr Ahmed, who was apprehended by the Delhi Police Special Cell in August, had formed a terror module named the “Ranchi Radical Group” (RRG) to recruit and train individuals for extremist activities.
The raid in August last year had also uncovered AQIS’s plans to expand its influence across multiple Indian states, including Jharkhand.
Ansari revealed that the module primarily targeted less-educated and working-class persons, who were indoctrinated to join the AQIS. He has also disclosed the names of several other suspects, prompting ATS efforts to gather further intelligence on these individuals.
To indoctrinate recruits, AQIS provided various propaganda materials and speeches. Four individuals from Jharkhand were sent to Rajasthan for training in handling weapons and planning attacks. Upon their return, a plan was in place to establish a training camp under their supervision in Ranchi.
In connection with this case, several arrests have been made so far, including Dr Ahmed (Ranchi), Faizan Ahmed (Hazaribagh), Mohd Modavir, Mohd Rizwan, Mufti Rahmatullah Majhiri, Matiur Rahman, Iltaf Ansari, and Enamul Ansari.
These arrests were made from the Chanho police station area in Ranchi.
Investigations are still going on to dismantle the terror network and prevent further activities in the region.
The AQIS is a regional branch of Al Qaeda, active in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Myanmar, and Bangladesh. The group has been involved in various terrorist activities and plots, posing a major threat to regional stability and security.
Authorities are intensifying their efforts to dismantle AQIS networks and prevent further attempts to radicalise vulnerable individuals.
–IANS
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