Security strengthened, alert issued in MP following arrest of Al Qaeda terrorists in UP

MP Home Minister Narottam Mishra said he has also directed authorities to keep a watch persons suspected or identified as linked to the SIMI (Students' Islamic Movement of India).

File photo

Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh government has sounded an alert in the wake of the arrest of two terrorists of an Al-Qaeda-supported outfit on the outskirts of Lucknow in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, MP Home Minister Narottam Mishra said on Monday.

Talking to reporters here, Mishra said he has also directed authorities to keep a watch persons suspected or identified as linked to the SIMI (Students' Islamic Movement of India) or Al-Qaeda.

"We have sounded a red alert in view of the arrest of two terrorists in Uttar Pradesh and the terror situation in Jammu and Kashmir. I have directed MP's Director General of Police (DGP) to immediately issue an order on this," the minister said.

Two terrorists of the Al-Qaeda-supported Ansar Ghazwatul Hind were arrested by the Uttar Pradesh ATS from the outskirts of Lucknow on Sunday, senior official earlier said, adding that they were planning explosions, including using "human bombs", at several places in UP.

A huge amount of explosive was also seized from their houses, the official had said.

They were planning to "unleash terror activities before August 15 (Independence Day) in different cities of UP", including Lucknow, the official had said.