Isis, first time on Indian soil: cell leader killed in Uttar Pradesh

The extremist called Saifulllah was hiding in an apartment in Lucknow. He was the head of a group of radicalized Muslims in India. Arrested eight others. The group has planned the bomb attack yesterday on a train in Madhya Pradesh, that left 10 wounded.

 

Lucknow (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Uttar Pradesh counterterrorism police have hunted down and killed the leader of a cell affiliated to the Islamic State that yesterday conducted the first Caliphate bombing on Indian soil.

The man, identified by the name of Saifullah, was hiding in an apartment in Lucknow. Searches had begun immediately after the explosion of a bomb on Ujjain-Bhopal train in Jabri station (in Madhya Pradesh), which resulted in injuries to 10 people. The police attempted to make him surrender through the mediation of his brother, but the terrorist replied: "I will not, I want martyrdom."

The anti-terrorism squad operation lasted about 12 hours and ended today at dawn. Officers found the train journey timetable and plans as well as material to assemble a bomb in the apartment yesterday. From initial investigations, it appears that the apartment had been rented about six months ago by Badshah, a man who works in Saudi Arabia. He told neighbors that he had let the apartment to his students friends.

There links between the cell and the jihadist groups are not yet clear, or if they have received funding and training from abroad. In any case, that this is the first episode ever undertaken in India by Isis members. In recent months, the police managed to foil several plans throughout the country and even arrest some extremists who were preparing to carry out attacks.

• India
• attempt
• first time
• Isis
• Islamic state
• killed
• chief cell
• Saifullah
• operation
• Lucknow
• extremism