At least 10 people have been taken into custody from multiple raids at the old quarters of the IT-city.
At least 10 people have been taken into custody from multiple raids at the old quarters of the IT-city.
Hyderabad
: A suspected terror plot has been uncovered in Hyderabad, where the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Hyderabad police busted an Islamic State cell. Raids were conducted in Moghalpura and Bhawaninagar areas of Hyderabad.
At least 11 suspects have been detained for questioning, including a techie and some graduates, from several areas in the old quarters of the IT-city. NIA IG Sanjeev Kumar said that the agency has conducted searches at around 10 locations.
NIA sources said that they had information that 5 of those detained were involved in terrorist activities. An FIR was registered against them on June 22. Those five people were identified as Mohammad Illiyas Yazdani, Mohammad Ibrahim, Habib Mohd, Mohammad Irfan, Abdullah Bin Ahmad, according to the NIA.
On the basis of the FIR, which was registered on June 22, NIA conducted these searches during which the people were detained.
The NIA sleuths also recovered weapons, ammunition, urea, acid, some chemicals, electronic gadgets and other incriminating material besides Rs 15 lakh in cash from their possession. The NIA also seized a few training materials during the searches.
-"Searches were conducted by NIA over some suspected terror activities that were planned to be carried out in the city...11 youths including a techie have been detained and Rs 15 lakh cash besides some explosive material has been seized from them,-" a senior intelligence officer said.
The raids come at a time when parts of the city are virtually under siege, with advocates and lawyers intensifying a strike that has been on for over three weeks. Prohibitory orders are in place and searches are still going on.
According to official sources, searches are reportedly being conducted in Bengaluru as well, from where NIA had arrested alleged ISIS suspects earlier this year. -"This is unusual that during the holy month of Ramzan, Daesh (ISIS) is planning and executing terror strikes across the world including India,-" said an officer on condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, high alert has been issued at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad. Central Industrial Security Force and Rapid Action Force personnel are on alert.
In January this year, 14 suspected ISIS sympathisers were picked up from across the country in an anti-terror operation by the NIA. Two of them were arrested in Hyderabad.
The fresh operations by the NIA comes in wake of suspected Islamic State terrorists attacked Turkey's Ataturk airport in Istanbul on Wednesday, killing at least 41 people and wounding 239.
Meanwhile, the raids also gave the BJP ammunition to attack the Telangana government and accused it of displaying -"criminal neglect-" in preventing Hyderabad from becoming a -"safe haven-" for terror elements.
-"NIA busted an ISIS module in Hyderabad and raids are still underway. BJP questions TS (Telangana State) government on its criminal neglect in preventing Hyderabad and old city from becoming safe havens for terrorists,-" BJP state unit spokesperson Krishna Saagar Rao said in a statement.
