The Delhi Police on Saturday said they have arrested a man with suspected links to the Islamic State terror group after a brief gunfight, PTI reported.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Pramod Singh Kushwaha claimed the accused was arrested with two improvised explosive devices from the ridge road between Dhaula Kuan and Karol Bagh on Friday night. National Security Guard commandos were deployed in the area on Saturday morning to carry out a search.
Kushwaha added that the man was a lone operative planning to carry out an attack in Delhi. The police identified the man as Abu Yusuf, according to NDTV. A pistol has also been recovered from his possession, the police said.
“He has various aliases,” the police officer said in a briefing, according to ANI. “Pressure cooker IEDs [improvised explosive devices] recovered from him. He was in direct touch of ISIS commanders. He had passports made of his wife, four children. Earlier, was handled by Yusuf Alhindi who was killed in Syria. Later, Abu Huzafa, a Pakistani was handling him. Huzafa was later killed in drone strike in Afghanistan.”
The police said that Yusuf has confessed to testing the IEDs when he was staying in his village a few months ago. However, due to coronavirus-induced restrictions, his movement was restricted. “Around August 15, he had an intention to make an attempt [of attack] in Delhi but due to security arrangements here he was not successful,” he said.
Yusuf’s interrogation is underway and the National Security Guard and Bomb Disposal Squad will examine the contents of the improvised explosive devices recovered from the man. Later in the day, the bomb squad defused the recovered IEDs, reported ANI.
Meanwhile, the police have stepped up vigil in the city and security checks have been intensified along Delhi’s border with Noida in Uttar Pradesh.
Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Hitesh Chandra also asked all police officers, especially those in field posting, to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions. “Vehicles and passengers moving to and fro Delhi are being checked at the border, while Gautam Buddh Nagar district is also on alert mode,” Noida Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajesh S said.
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