Maharashtra, Gujarat ATS nab terrorists planning to hit vital installations

The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and its counterpart in neighbouring Gujarat today said separately that they had arrested three persons in all for allegedly scouting for targets to attack and recruiting youngsters for terrorist training camps in Pakistan.

In Mumbai, the ATS said it had arrested two persons for allegedly pllanning to carry out terrorist attacks at an Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) installation and two other places - a shopping mall and a cloth market - in Mumbai.

In Ahmedabad, the Gujarat ATS said it had arrested a suspected operative of the Hizbul Mujahideen, Bashir Ahmed, for allegedly conducting a recce of potential targets for terror attacks, including the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), and recruiting youngsters for terrorist training camps in Pakistan.

In Delhi, the Centre described the arrests as a "weekend of major successes", which included the arrest in Manipur of the Kanglei Yawol Kunna Lup chief.

"This weekend we have had three major successes. One module has been busted in Maharashtra in Mumbai, about which the Maharashtra ATS has already made a statement. We have another module being busted in Gujarat of the Hizbul Mujahideen and the KYKL chief of army has been arrested in Manipur also... so it's been good," Union Home Secretary G K Pillai told reporters.

The two persons arrested in Mumbai were identified as Abdul Latif alias Guddu, 29, a resident of Bandra, and Riaz Ali alias Rehan, 23, a resident of Dahisar, both suburbs of the city, They were picked up from near Matunga railway station in central Mumbai last night.

Maharashtra ATS chief K P Raghuvanshi told reporters in Mumbai that the two men were in touch with someone they called "Uncle" in Pakistan, who had asked them to identify targets in the city. The targets identified included an ONGC installation as well as the Thakkar Mall in Borivali mall and the Mangaldas Market in south Mumbai, both crowded places.

According to him, the duo had been asked to identify some people who could be taken to Pakistan and get their passports and other papers ready. They were also told to "do something big" before leaving for Pakistan.

He said the information they had received about the plans to target an ONGC installation and other places had been independently verified by other intelligence sources.

Security had been tightened at ONGC installations as well as all other vital installations around the country after these inputs, official sources added.

In Ahmedabad, Gujarat ATS chief Ajay Tomar told reporters that Bashir, 32, had been arrested from near Anand town, about 60 km from the city, late last night on the basis of specific information.

Mr Tomar said the ATS had received information that a person was involved in suspicious activity in Ahmedabad and nearby areas, following which the police had put him under surveillance.

The arrested person is a resident of Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir and was allegedly in touch with Hizbul Mujahideen activists based in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.

Bashir is learnt to have reached Gujarat on February 28 for talent spotting and scouting of targets for terrorist attacks.

According to Mr Tomar, the ATS had information that Bashir had visited several important locations in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, including the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the Science City, the Law Garden, the Ahmedabad Railway Station and the Akshardham Temple.

He said Bashir had gone to Pakistan in 2006 and had received training at a terrorist training camp in that country.

He said the suspect would be presented before a local court later today for remand. He said the police was trying to find out if Bashir had any other contacts in Gujarat.

NNN