IM kingpin planned to target four Indian states

Four states across the country were on the target list of Shahrukh alias Ahmad Siddi Bappa, Indian Mujahideen’s (IM) operation head in India, the six arrested suspected IM militants have told the police. Shahrukh is still at large and efforts are on to nab him.

Four states across the country were on the target list of Shahrukh alias Ahmad Siddi Bappa, Indian Mujahideen’s (IM) operation head in India, the six arrested suspected IM militants have told the police. Shahrukh is still at large and efforts are on to nab him.

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According to Delhi Police sources, the pan-India brigade had conducted reconnaissance of 15 important places, including markets, in the four states which are said to be on IM’s radar. The target states of the militant group were — Delhi, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Bihar.

A police officer, who did not want to be named, said the surveillances of the 15-odd places were conducted between January and October this year.

Sources believe that IM was planning to strike at any of the targeted places in the coming months.

“Interrogation of the arrested IM operatives has revealed that they had conducted surveillance of four places, including two crowded markets in Delhi, besides conducting a recce of five areas in Mumbai and Pune. Similar surveillance was conducted in Patna and Chennai. They are not aware about the militant group’s future course of action, as Shahrukh never disclosed his plans to his men,” said a source.

Investigators have also learnt that Shahrukh had planned to send two of the six arrested suspected operatives to Pakistan to get training in perpetrating terror attacks.

Shahrukh had provided fake Indian passports to Mohammad Qateel Siddiqui and Gayur Ahmad Jamali through his contacts in Bihar. “The same passports were to be used for sending Siddiqui and Jamali to Pakistan where they had to meet the Bhatkal brothers — Riyaz and Iqbal — and Amir Raza Khan, the founder of IM. The training was seen as a reward for the two as their handlers in Pakistan were impressed with their efforts during the execution of Pune German Bakery blast, Jama Masjid shootout and the blast at the Chinnaswami Stadium in Bangalore,” added the source.