UP ATS Foils Terror Attack Plan On I-Day, Arrests Man With Islamic State Links

The ATS has recovered bomb-making material, explosives and a number of illegal arms and cartridges from the accused, the statement said.

Police personnel deployed outside a mosque in Uttar Pradesh (Source: File Photo/Getty)

New Delhi: The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of the Uttar Pradesh Police on Tuesday arrested an alleged ISIS operative who was planning an Independence Day blast, said an official as reported by news agency PTI. According to the police, accused Sabauddin Azmi, a member of Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM, was working on a plan to establish Islamic State in India and implement Sharia law by forming a Mujahideen organisation in contact with ISIS.

Additional Director General of Police (ADG) Law and Order Prashant Kumar said in a statement issued on Tuesday that the ATS team arrested Sabauddin, a resident of Amilo in Mubarakpur police station area of ​​Azamgarh district, at the ATS headquarters. He said that a case has been registered against Azmi under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 and 3/25 Arms Act.

The ATS has recovered bomb-making material, explosives and a number of illegal arms and cartridges from the accused, the statement said.

The statement claimed that the ATS had received information that a person from Amilo of Azamgarh, influenced by the ideology of ISIS, is spreading jihadi ideas and inspiring others to join the banned terrorist organization ISIS. On this information, the accused Sabauddin was brought for questioning to the ATS Headquarters, where during the interrogation evidence of his links with ISIS was found.

According to the statement, the accused, after connecting with a person named Bilal on Facebook, started a conversation about the action being taken on Mujahids in Kashmir and after that Bilal gave him the number of ISIS members Musa alias Khattab Kashmiri. Sabauddin started talking to Musa and after that, he came in contact with Abu Bakr al-Shami of ISIS living in Syria through Musa.

According to the statement, Abu Shami got it in touch with Abu Umar, a resident of Murtaniya. Sabauddin was being trained by Abu Umar to make hand grenades, bombs and IEDs through social media apps and started working on a plan to establish an Islamic State in India and implement Sharia law by forming a Mujahideen organization. 

The statement claimed that Sabauddin Azmi was working on a plan to target members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

(With PTI Inputs)