Gujarat anti-terror unit arrest 5, with links to Islamic State, from Porbandar

Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 10 (ANI): The Anti-Terrorist Squad of the Gujarat Police have arrested five persons, including a woman from Porbandar, with alleged links to proscribed international terror outfit the Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP) an affiliate of the Islamic State.

State police said on Saturday that the arrests were made as part of a special operation and raids are still underway.

Addressing a press conference here today Director General of Police (DGP) Gujarat Vikas Sahay said that the officials of the ATS of the Gujarat Police had received information that three of terrorists linked to the ISKP were planning to leave India via Gujarat.

“It is a banned terrorist organization, Islamic State – Khorasan Province. Three terrorists affiliated with this organisation were planning to leave from Porbandar via the waterway,” the DGP said.

“This information was received by the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of Gujarat Police. The information was properly processed and further developed,” the police official said.

“Acting on the tip-off, a team of Gujarat ATS early morning of June 9, set up a watch at Porbandar railway station and identified the three youths and held them and questioned them,” the DGP said.

The three arrested from Porbandar were indentified as – Ubaid Nasir Mir, Hanan Hayat Shawl and Mohammad Hajim Shah all natives of Srinagar the DGP Vikas Sahay said.

Based on questioning the detained trio, the Gujarat DGP Sahay said that two more people also linked to the ISK were held. They have been identified as Zubair Ahmed Munshi from Sringar and one woman Sumerabanu Mohammad Hanif Malek, who is a resident of Surat city.

Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi said that five suspected terrorists were arrested and congratulated the Gujarat Police ATS and Surat Crime Branch for the arrests.

“Gujarat police have been thwarting terror plots and it will continue to do so in the coming days. Gujarat police will take forward the Zero tolerance policy of the Centre as put forth by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Five suspected persons have been arrested, one from Surat,” the minister said.

Terming it a big success for Gujarat Police, he said that the ATS will inform about its probe findings after the investigation concludes.

The accused were interrogated throughout Friday night in connection with their terrorist activities, the DGP said.

It was ascertained that they were preparing to flee outside India to join the ISKP and were in contact with each other for the past year. They were allegedly being given messages from their handler Abu Hamza.”

A special team of the ATS had been active for the past few days for special operations in Porbandar and surrounding areas, according to ATS sources.

The special operation of the ATS was led by DIG Dipen Bhadran, who along with other officials, has been in Porbandar since yesterday. The convoy of officers arrived at the Special Operations Group (SOG) office in Porbandar, where the ATS completed the operation.

ATS sources added SP Sunil Joshi, DySP KK Patel, DySP Shankar Chowdhury along with other officials were involved in the operations.