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Wednesday’s arrest of four terror suspects including that of SIMI mastermind Haider Ali signals the end of the road for organised terror modules in India, claims the Intelligence Bureau.
But what’s worrying is that the Al Qaeda and Taliban are taking keen interest in the terror operations in India. Vicky Nanjappa reports
At a Bhopal court, several SIMI members shouted slogans: Jai Taliban, ab Modi teri baari.
In Kozhikode, posters giving a call for jihad were pasted on walls.
Ansar Al-Tawheed fi Bilad Al-Hind (the supporters of monotheism in the land of India) made an appeal to the Al Qaeda and Taliban to come forward and protect Indian Muslims.
At Gujarat's Sabarmati jail there was yet another attempt to free SIMI head Safdar Nagori. A website being operated from Tokelau Island in New Zealand revealed a prison break plan to free operatives of the banned outfit.
The last 15 days has seen some hectic activity among terror groups. Does this have anything to do with the fact that Narendra Modi, who tops the target list of these extremist organisations, is all set to take over as prime minister? Or are these just desperate moves by outfits as their leading men are trapped in the police net?
The arrests of four terror suspects including that of Students Islamic Movement of India operative Haider Ali on Wednesday marked the end of the last organised terror module in the country. This has sent operatives in a tizzy and they are desperate to strike back, said investigators.
The real intent is to re-build and terror operatives are using their ‘hatred’ towards Modi to unite like-minded radicals, they added.
An Intelligence Bureau official told rediff.com that these are clear signs of desperation. “Wednesday’s arrests came as a deathly blow to the only active terror module operating in the country now. It all started with the arrests of Yasin Bhatkal and his aide Assadullah Akthar. Then came the arrests of Tehsin Akhtar and Waqas Ahmad, which forced the Indian Mujahideen to shut down another major module.”
The arrests of Shakir Hussain, the Sri Lankan operative involved in the attacked on an express train in Chennai on May 1, and his aide in Malaysia foiled a major plan by the Inter-Services Intelligence trying to target India through the south, according to the Intelligence Bureau.
The arrests of key terror operatives has comes as a set back to their outfits, but the threat is not over yet. “Pakistan’s ISI is keen to back homegrown terror outfits. Meanwhile, the Lashkar-e-Tayiba continues to remain active, but the attacks that they plan largely depend on what policy the Pakistan intelligence and military want to adopt,” an IB officer said.
“Take the case of the 26/11 attack. The plan was given a go-ahead to keep the Lashkar engaged as many had threatened to quit and join the Taliban for the Afghanistan battle,”
Some of the deadliest IM and SIMI operatives like Alamzeb Afridi, Shadab Baig, Bada Sajid and Sultan Armar continue to receive training in Pakistan. Most wanted terrorists Riyaz Bhatkal, Amir Reza Khan and Iqbal Bhatkal, who are taking cover in Paksitan, can resurrect the IM and the SIMI, IB warned.
The intelligence agency claimed to track at least five students from Chennai, who have gone off the radar and are training in Syria.
What is even more worrying is that groups such as the Al Qaeda and Taliban are taking keen interest in the terror operations in Indian affairs. If these terror groups sound a war cry, there is 99 out of a 100 chance that misguided youth will fall into their trap and take the path of terror, the IB officer warned.
Images: Two terror operatives Haidar Ali and Muzibullah being produced at a local court in Ranchi on Wednesday. Both were arrested from Ranchi bus stand on Tuesday night. Credit: PTI photos