In a major crackdown, the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) on Saturday morning arrested Nine Al-Qaeda terrorists in multiple raids carried out in Kerela and West Bengal. The raids were carried out in West Bengal’s Murshidabad and Kerala’s Ernakulam.
NIA Arrests Nine Al-Qaeda Terrorists from West Bengal and Kerala pic.twitter.com/qL7p4rR9lc
— NIA India (@NIA_India) September 19, 2020
Out of the nine terrorists, six were from West Bengal while the other three were from Kerela. The NIA recovered several incriminating materials from the terrorists, including firearms, body armour and explosive devices.
“NIA had learnt about an inter-state module of Al-Qaeda operatives at various locations in India, including West-Bengal and Kerala. The group was planning to undertake terrorist attacks at vital installations in India with an aim to kill innocent people and strike terror,” an official statement by the probe agency read.
“Large quantity of incriminating materials including digital devices, documents, jihadi literature, sharp weapons, country-made firearms, a locally fabricated body armour, articles and literature used for making home-made explosive devices have been seized from their possession,” the NIA said.
The probe agency also added that the nine arrested accused were radicalized by Pakistan-based Al-Qaeda terrorists on social media were motivated to carry out attacks at various places including Delhi-NCR.
Initial investigations state that the accused were actively indulged in fund-raising and a few members of the gang were planning to travel to Delhi to procure arms and ammunition.
All the terrorists will be taken to courts in Kerela and West Bengal today to seek their police custody.
