Zeenews Bureau
Mumbai: The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad on Tuesday arrested two operatives of the banned Indian Mujahideen from the city.
This is the first arrest after the main module of the terror group was busted in 2008. The Indian Mujahideen is suspected to be behind serial blasts in Delhi and in other parts of the country that claimed nearly 500 lives. It was declared as a terrorist outfit in June 2010.
Today’s arrest comes in the backdrop of the recent success achieved by the Madhya Pradesh Anti-Terror Squad in arresting key members of the Indian Mujahideen and SIMI activists from various parts of the state. Over a dozen operatives including Syed Salauddeen Salar, former all India president of the banned Students` Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), are now under custody.
Salar was nabbed from the Kochi international airport on arrival from Dubai.
Indian Mujahideen is said to be a shadow outfit of the banned SIMI and Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Toiba and is directly controlled by Pakistan`s ISI, Home Ministry officials have said.
Amir Reza Khan was the founding member of the Indian Mujahideen, which was created by ISI ostensibly to spread terror through Indian front outfits. The terror group is at present headed by Iqbal Bhatkal, a resident of North Karnataka.
