New Delhi: The Special Cell of Delhi Police on Saturday said it has arrested a group of four “radicalised Kashmiri youth” who were allegedly planning “terror strikes” in the national capital.
In a statement, the police said the accused were nabbed from central Delhi’s ITO area and were carrying four sophisticated pistols and over 120 rounds of ammunition.
The accused have been identified as Altaf Ahmad Dar (25), a resident of Pulwama; Mushtaq Ahmad Gani (27), Ishfaq Majeed Koka (28) and Aqib Safi (22), all residents of Shopian, the statement said.
Ishfaq is the elder brother of slain militant Burhan Koka, ex-chief of Ansar Ghajwat Ul Hind, an off-shoot of Al Qaeda in Jammu and Kashmir, police said.
They said Burhan Koka was killed in an encounter in Shopian’s Melhora area on April 29 this year along with two other associates.
After his death, his elder brother Ishfaq Majeed Koka was approached by the cadres of Ansar Ghajwat Ul Hind to work for the outfit, police stated.
“On Friday, police received information that a group of radicalized Kashmiri youth had collected a huge cache of arms and ammunition and will come to ITO and Daryaganj.
“Thereafter, a trap was laid near ITO and the accused were apprehended,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Pramod Singh Kushwah said.
“Preliminary interrogation revealed that Ishfaq was allegedly indoctrinated by present chief of Ansar Ghajwat Ul Hind to work for the cause of Jihad. Ishfaq further indoctrinated Altaf Ahmad Dar, his cousin Aaqib and Gani,” police claimed.
“As per instructions of their handler, they came to Delhi on September 27 and were camping at Paharganj,” the DCP said.
During their stay in Delhi, they collected arms and ammunition, he said.
“They had plans for a sensational terrorist activity and thereafter, they would be formally inducted in Ansar Ghajwat Ul Hind,” Kushwah said, adding that further investigation is underway.
