NIA Busts ISIS Module In Hyderabad, 11 Arrested

Following intelligence alerts that ISIS operatives were planning bomb blasts in Hyderabad, sleuths of National Investigation Agency (NIA), SIT and Hyderabad city police jointly conducted raids in several parts of the Old City late on Tuesday night and took 11 ISIS (Islamic State) sympathising youth in for questioning.

They also recovered arms and some explosives, Rs 15 lakhs in cash and forged identity documents from their possession.

During interrogation, it was revealed that the youth were planning to trigger multiple blasts in Hyderabad. An NIA official said that the members of the module were under watch for 4-5 months as they were in touch with each other through social networking websites. After it became evident that the module had gathered material to prepare explosives and secure arms, the NIA decided to act.

Those who were taken into custody included Mohammed Ibrahim Yazdani (a software engineer), Mohd Ilias Yazdani, Abdullah Bin Ahmed Al Amoodi, Hasib Mohammed, Fahad, Mohammed Irfan, Muzaffar Hussain and Yasir.

The NIA officers found ammonium nitrate and hydrogen peroxide stored in the homes of some of these youths. All the 11 persons who were picked up were living with their parents or families. During the search operation, the NIA officials were threatened by the family members of Mohammed Ibrahim Yazdani to disperse in five minutes.

The arrests were made from houses in Chandrayangutta, Mirchowk, Talabkatta, Bhavaninagar and Mogalpura. Immediately, a high alert was sounded at the Shamshabad airport and several other sensitive places in Hyderabad, and the local police are checking vehicle riders and passengers at various locations across the city.

"The search operations are still going on," an NIA official said.

The ISIS is reported to have planned serial blasts in Hyderabad and massive destruction during Id. The terrorists entered the city with the support of sympathisers about three months back and have been taking shelter at their supporters' homes in the Old City.

The suspects reportedly admitted that they practiced shooting and hurling of bombs in the Chandrayangutta area, and had planned to execute their plan in the thickly populated areas in the twin cities during Id. The suspects were using air guns for firing practice. They had conducted a recce of some malls and religious places which they wanted to target.