Did Gujarat ATS Arrest a Youth from Navsari for a Terror Plot?
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Key Takeaways
Navsari/Ahmedabad, Jan 27 (NationPress) The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has detained a young man from Navsari on suspicions of orchestrating targeted assassinations intended to instill terror and anxiety within the community.
The suspect, named Faizan Shaikh, hails from Charpul in the Navsari district and was apprehended on January 25.
Preliminary inquiries suggest that Shaikh, who originally comes from Dundawala, Narpat Nagar in Rampur district of Uttar Pradesh, has been influenced by the extremist beliefs propagated by the banned groups Jaish-e-Mohammed and Al-Qaeda.
Moreover, it was revealed that Shaikh maintained contact with radical factions via online platforms and various other means.
Following his reported radicalization, he allegedly acquired illegal weaponry and ammunition to execute attacks against chosen individuals.
During his arrest, ATS agents seized weapons and explosive materials from him.
“Preliminary investigation indicates that the suspect had been gearing up to carry out targeted killings to create fear and terror within society,” stated an ATS officer.
Authorities have noted that extensive interrogations are in progress to ascertain if Shaikh had accomplices, as well as to trace the financial and logistical infrastructures that may have aided him.
In light of the arrest, security agencies have amplified surveillance in Navsari and the surrounding South Gujarat area as a precautionary step.
Officials are investigating all potential connections and sources of the seized arms and ammunition while ensuring close collaboration with other intelligence entities.
This incident follows nearly two months after another operation where the ATS apprehended three individuals allegedly plotting attacks in various regions of the country.
In November, Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed from Hyderabad, alongside two men from Uttar Pradesh, Azad Suleman Sheikh and Mohammad Suhail Mohammad Saleem, were arrested.
Authorities confirmed that this trio had been radicalized by handlers associated with the banned Islamic State Khorasan Province, with several weapons and munitions confiscated from them.
Saiyed, who studied medicine in China, was reportedly involved in planning multiple attacks.
The ATS has also executed further arrests within Gujarat targeting suspected terror-related activities, highlighting the ongoing vigilance of security forces in the state.