Liaison with Al-Qaeda suspected in SIMI-engineered Bijnore blast

Banned terror outfit, Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) is planning its resurrection in association with Al-Qaeda. The international terror body has already announced its intention to revive Islamist terrorism, which has ebbed following a crackdown on Indian Mujahideen cadres.

‘Following the disintegration of the Indian Mujahideen (IM) cadres, the dormant SIMI elements are trying to take them into their fold. While IM supports the Iraq-based ISIS, the SIMI operatives plan to cozy up to Al-Qaeda,’ said the source. The five SIMI operatives, Amjad Hassan, Aslam, Guddu, 

Mohammad Ejazuddin and Zakhir who escaped last October from the Khandwa Jail, were reportedly given the task to execute a terror strike in Uttar Pradesh during the Saturday by-polls, intelligence sources said. 

However, their plan to strike went horribly wrong after the half-assembled bomb exploded at a rented house in Jatan area of Bijnore in west UP on Friday morning.

In the recent past, there have been reports that Qaedat al-Jihad or Al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), a new outfit of Al-Qaeda, is setting up roots in India by recruiting talented operatives from IM and SIMI, to use their network. ‘A manhunt is on to nab these five SIMI operatives who escaped after the explosion. One of them also received injuries in his hand and chest. 

Two months ago they had rented a room from one Leelo Devi claiming that they all were looking for a job,’ Satyender Kumar, superintendent of police, Bijnore said. 

He added that 7 kg match sticks, 4 big packets of matchboxes, low-intensity explosives, remains of an half-assembled bomb, .32 bore pistol, a laptop, three voter ID cards and two books in Urdu were recovered from the room where they were residing. Investigation agencies along with ATS, UP Police are now trying to find out whether these five operatives were in touch with the new outfit of Al-Qaeda.

‘There are indications that SIMI and Al-Qaeda might have built a network as both the outfits were planning terror strikes in the same targeted states,’ the source said. 

He added that Al-Qaeda has 23 modules in India and so far around 130 youths, suspected to be from factions of IM and SIMI are active in these modules. Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat are the prime targets.