Uttar Pradesh: Suspected ISIS Terrorist Arrested, ATS Claims Bomb-Making Material Seized. Independence Day possible target.

From Outlook India  and The Print

The Uttar Pradesh Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Tuesday arrested an alleged terrorist with links to the terrorist group ISIS who was planning an attack on the upcoming Independence Day.

UP ATS arrested Sabauddin Azmi, a member of the Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM, after questioning him at its Lucknow headquarters, said Additional Director General of Police (ADG), Law and Order, Prashant Kumar in a statement. He also goes by the names Dilawar Khan and Bairam Khan, according to UP Police.

The statement added that Azmi was in direct contact with an ISIS recruiter and that ATS has seized materials used in making bombs, an illegal weapon and cartridges from the accused.

The UP ATS received information that the accused, after being influenced by ISIS ideology, was spreading jihadi ideas and trying to get others to join the terror outfit, said the statement, adding that he was brought in for questioning and was arrested after evidence of his links with the ISIS were found.

According to the police, Shami (Abu Bakr al-Shami of the ISIS living in Syria, with whom Azmi was in contact) got Azmi in touch with Abu Umar, a resident of Murtaniya who started training him on how to make hand grenades, bombs and IEDs and working on a plan to establish an Islamic State in India.

The statement said Azmi was planning an explosion on Independence Day.