UP ATS foils terror plot to target RSS workers, 1 held

Lucknow, Aug 10

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.