Al-Qaeda Cell Busted in Major Multi-City Operation, 4 Terror Suspects with Pak links Arrested

The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Wednesday busted a major terror module, arresting four suspects allegedly linked to the global terror outfit Al-Qaeda. The suspects, who reportedly had cross-border links, were apprehended in a coordinated operation across three cities and were tasked with executing attacks on high-profile targets in India.

The four individuals, all aged between 20 and 25, were arrested from Gujarat, Delhi, and Noida. Two were caught in Gujarat, while one was arrested in each of the other two cities. The arrested men have been identified as Mohd Fardeen, Sefullah Kureshi, Zeeshan Ali, and Mohd Faiq.

Initial investigations have revealed that the four suspects were connected to each other through a social media application and were in communication with handlers from across the border. Authorities are currently interrogating the men to uncover the full extent of the plot and identify other potential members of the network.

The arrests come just days after a United Nations report warned that Al-Qaeda is actively working to expand its terror operations in the Indian subcontinent. The report from the UN Security Council’s Sanctions Monitoring Team noted that Al-Qaeda’s regional affiliate, Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), is being shaped to spread its activities into Jammu and Kashmir, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.

According to the UN, AQIS has approximately 200 fighters in the subcontinent, led by an emir named Osama Mehmood. The report also highlighted that while the group’s capacity for large-scale attacks has been reduced, its intent remains firm, and it continues to use Afghanistan as a “logistical and ideological hub” for recruitment and planning.