Arrested Al-Qaeda Terrorists Were In Touch With Pak, ISI During Op Sindoor

The four al-Qaeda terrorists, who were arrested by the Gujarat Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) on Wednesday, were in regular touch and exchanged crucial information with the Pakistan Army and its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) during Operation Sindoor in May, sources said.

The accused targeted and radicalised youngsters against Operation Sindoor on social media and tried to create an environment in favour of Operation Bunyan un Marsoos, Islamabad's codename for its military operation. The terror module was extremely active during Operation Sindoor, the sources added. 

The ATS on Wednesday busted the terror module following a tip-off that some Instagram account holders were spreading extremist ideology of the al-Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent and sharing inflammatory content calling for violence or terrorist acts against Indian citizens.

The four accused were identified as Mohammad Faiz, a resident of Delhi, Zeeshan Ali from Noida (Uttar Pradesh), Saifulla Qureshi, a native of Modasa town of Arvalli district, and Ahmedabad resident Mohammad Fardeen Shaikh.

The sources said the four men continuously shared information pertaining to Operation Sindoor with two Pakistani social media accounts. They also received orders from these accounts.

Providing details of the accused, the sources said Mohammad Faiz, who led the group, worked as a manager at an outlet of a fast food chain in Delhi. He is highly educated and would target youngsters on social media.

Zeeshan Ali worked at a mobile store in Noida and the remaining two accused worked as tailors in Gujarat.

According to Gujarat ATS Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Sunil Joshi, a sword and AQIS literature promoting jihad against India for its 'Operation Sindoor' was found during a raid at Shaikh's house. Their Instagram posts contained AQIS literature, calls for establishing sharia and other such radical statements which had the capacity to create communal hatred, said the IPS officer.

The accused also posted a video of Asim Umar, an Indian who had joined AQIS and later on killed in Afghanistan in 2019, he informed.

All of them were arrested under relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) -- an anti-terror law -- and sections 113 (terrorist act), 152 (acts endangering sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India) and 196 (promoting enmity between different groups) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).