The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) have foiled an alleged terror plot to target Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) workers after the arrest of an alleged ISIS operative from Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh district.
The ATS officials said that an illegal firearm and raw materials, apparently to prepare a bomb, were recovered from the terror accused Sabahudeen Azmi.
The accused has been booked under IPC sections 121-A (waging war against the country), 122 (collecting arms with an intention to wage war against the country), 123 (concealing existence of a design to wage war against the country) and sections 13 and 18 of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and 3/25 Arms Act for possession of illegal firearms, said Naveen Arora, Additional Director General (ADG), Uttar Pradesh ATS.
The ATS officials claimed that Sabahudeen Azmi was in touch with two ISIS recruiters -- Abu Umar and Abu Bakar Al-Shami -- through phone and instant messaging applications.
They said the accused had been propagating ISIS ideology through social media platforms and also created a telegram channel 'Al-Saqr Media' to brainwash Muslim youths and rope them in for his terror operations.
The accused also created a fake e-mail ID and Facebook account using the RSS name to target RSS volunteers.
The ADG added that the accused was traced and arrested while developing an intelligence input through a person in Amilo village of Azamgarh for propagating ISIS ideology.
He said that Sabahudeen Azmi was arrested and brought to ATS headquarters in Lucknow for interrogation on Tuesday evening, during which he revealed that he first came in touch with one Bilal through Facebook and gave him the contact number of Musa alias Kanab Kashmiri, an ISIS member.
The ADG added that the accused later came in touch with two ISIS recruiters -- Abu Bakar Al-Shami (currently in Syria) and Abu Umar (based in Africa's Islamic country Mauritania).
Arora said that the accused had been brainwashed by the ISIS recruiters, who in turn, were using him to brainwash other youth to become a part of their fight to avenge "injustice to Muslims in Kashmir and other parts of the country".
The ADG added that the intention of the accused was to create an ISIS-like organisation and establish Islamic rule in India.
Arora said that Abu Bakar Al-Shami gave the accused the idea of preparing an ISIS-like organisation in India and also helped him learn to prepare IEDs and bombs through online videos.
--IANS
amita/khz/
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
You’ve hit your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Quarterly Starter
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Access to Exclusive Premium Stories Online
Over 30 behind the paywall stories daily, handpicked by our editors for subscribers


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app