On the eve of the first phase of the state assembly election in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested an al-Qaeda operative who was allegedly involved in a conspiracy to carry out an IED blast in Lucknow.
The person who is now in police custody is one Tawheed Ahmad Shah, a resident of Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam district, and he was arrested on Monday.
The case was registered by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in July last year in Gomtinagar police station against the accused who was recruiting members for the global terrorist organisation al-Qaeda’s affiliate Ansaar Gajwatul Hind (AGH) and wanted to commit acts of terror in Lucknow.
Tawheed was also involved in the procurement of arms, ammunition, and explosive materials to be used for attacks in Uttar Pradesh as it tries to vote for a new state government.
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