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Dilsukhnagar blasts prime accused held
Dilsukhnagar blasts prime accused held, Terrorist Zia Ur Rehman alias Waqas Azhar, Anti-Terrorism. Waqas Azhar is a prime accused in the twin blasts at Dilsukhnagar in Hyderabad. He is a chief bomb-maker of the banned IM and a close aide of its jailed co-founder Yasin Bhatkal.
- Waqas Azhar, three others arrested in Jodhpur
- A Pak national, he is a chief bomb-maker of IM
- He carried out several terror attacks in India
- Said to be planning to attack Narendra Modi
- Cops claim to have averted ‘spectacular attack’
Hyderabad/ New Delhi: Top Indian Mujahideen (IM) terrorist Zia Ur Rehman alias Waqas Azhar, a Pakistani national wanted in connection with several bombings, and three associates have been arrested from Jodhpur by Delhi Police Police Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in a joint operation with the Rajasthan Police on Saturday. They were reportedly planning a "spectacular terror attack" during the elections.
Waqas Azhar is a prime accused in the twin blasts at Dilsukhnagar in Hyderabad. He is a chief bomb-maker of the banned IM and a close aide of its jailed co-founder Yasin Bhatkal. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for any information leading to his arrest.
"Waqas, a dreaded terrorist, exported by Pakistan based ISI, is wanted in a series of bombings carried out all over India along with his absconding associates," Special Commissioner (Special Cell) S N Shrivastava told reporters in Delhi on Sunday, adding it was a "major catch."
Waqas was arrested outside Ajmer Railway Station early on Saturday when he alighted from a train which came from Bandra in Mumbai.
His other three associates identified as Mohammad Mahruf (21), Mohammad Waqar Azhar alias Haneef (21), both residents of Jaipur, and Shaquib Ansari alias Khalid (25) of Jodhpur were arrested at his instance in the wee hours today from their residences with the help of Rajasthan police.
A youth, whose identity police did not reveal, was picked up for questioning from Shaheen Bagh area from Jamia Nagar for questioning as he was in touch with the three arrested from Jaipur and Jodhpur.
"We have recovered huge amount of explosive materials, detonators, electronic circuits/timers from the residence of these three people from Jaipur and Jodhpur. With this, a spectacular terrorist strike has been averted," said Shrivastava.Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said adequate security cover would be provided to Modi. Shinde recalled that after the terror attack aimed at Modi in Patna, he upgraded the security cover for him.
An arrested IM operative Syed Maqbool told the Delhi Police that he along with another IM member recceed three places in Hyderabad in June 2012, one of which was Dilsukhnagar where the twin blasts took place.
Waqas was identified as a suspect in the Dilsukhnagar blasts in Hyderabad after he was caught on camera for the first time.
After carrying out this strike, he returned to Mangalore and stayed there for some time. When the news of the arrest of Yasin Bhatkal and Asadullah Akhtar by the Indian security agencies broke out, Riyaz Bhatkal, another co-founder of IM, directed Waqas to leave the Mangalore hideout immediately After undergoing training at a Lashkar-e-Taiba-run terror camp in Pakistan, Waqas entered India via Nepal in 2010. Police said he carried out several terror strikes - twin blasts in Hyderabad in February 2013, Pune blasts in 2012 and the Jama Masjid shootout in Delhi 2010 - at the behest of Yasin Bhatkal. But he had been on the run ever since Bhatkal was arrested at the Indo-Nepal border in August last, police said.
