The National Investigation Agency on Saturday said it has arrested another person in connection with its inquiry against an Islamic State-linked module, which was planning to carry out attacks targeting politicians and government buildings in New Delhi and other parts of North India, PTI reported. The agency had busted the module on December 26.
An unidentified spokesperson of the agency said its officers arrested Muhammad Absar, 24, from Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad city on Friday night. He added that Absar was a resident of Jasora in Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh. “Absar had visited three places in Jammu and Kashmir in the months of May and August 2018 along with another accused, Iftekhar Sakib, in connection with the terror conspiracy,” the spokesperson said.
With this, the NIA has now arrested 13 people in the case. The agency has alleged that the accused belong to an Islamic State module known as Harkat ul Harb-e-Islam.
The agency also conducted fresh searches at three locations in Meerut, Hapur and Ghaziabad following Absar’s arrest, the spokesperson said.
This was the 12th arrest in this connection so far. Ten persons were arrested from Uttar Pradesh and Delhi after the first raids on December 26, which the NIA conducted in a joint operation with the police. Pistols, ammonium nitrate and material used to make Improvised Explosive Devices were recovered from those arrested. The agency also arrested 21-year-old Naeem from Meerut on January 4.
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