The Delhi and Jharkhand Police recently uncovered a plan to establish a training camp for the terrorist organisation Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) on Nakata Hill, located on the border of Ranchi and Latehar districts in Jharkhand.
The revelation came to light following the interrogation of AQIS operatives who were arrested during a joint operation carried out by the Delhi Police’s Special Cell and the Jharkhand Police’s Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) just two days ago.
Shahbaz Ansari, a key AQIS operative arrested during the operation, provided valuable information regarding AQIS's activities in Jharkhand. Ansari’s statements revealed that the mastermind behind the terror group's activities in the region was Dr Ishtiaq Ahmed, a radiologist at a private hospital in Ranchi.
Dr Ahmed, who was apprehended by the Delhi Police Special Cell in August of the previous year, had created a terror module called the "Ranchi Radical Group" (RRG). This group was primarily focused on recruiting individuals and training them for extremist activities under the banner of AQIS.
The operation in August 2024 had also exposed AQIS's broader plans to expand its influence across several Indian states, including Jharkhand.
Ansari, during his interrogation, disclosed that the module had specifically targeted less-educated and working-class individuals, who were then indoctrinated to join AQIS. He also provided names of other suspects, leading the ATS to initiate further intelligence-gathering efforts to track them down.
To further radicalise their recruits, AQIS employed various propaganda materials and speeches. According to the information provided by Ansari, four individuals from Jharkhand were sent to Rajasthan to receive training in weapons handling and attack planning.
After completing their training, these individuals were set to return to Ranchi to establish the planned AQIS training camp under their supervision.
As of now, several arrests have been made in connection with this case. Among those arrested are Dr Ishtiaq Ahmed from Ranchi, Faizan Ahmed from Hazaribagh, and several others, including Mohd Modavir, Mohd Rizwan, Mufti Rahmatullah Majhiri, Matiur Rahman, Iltaf Ansari, and Enamul Ansari.
These arrests were made in the Chanho police station area in Ranchi.
Authorities are continuing their investigations in order to dismantle the AQIS network and prevent any further activities in the region.
AQIS, which is a regional branch of the global terrorist organisation Al Qaeda, is active in countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Myanmar, and Bangladesh. The group has been involved in various terrorist activities, posing a significant threat to regional security and stability.
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