The Hindu : Front Page : HUJI area commander held

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Sunday, Jun 24, 2007
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HUJI area commander held

Special Correspondent

LUCKNOW: In a pre-dawn operation on Saturday, the Special Task Force of the Uttar Pradesh police arrested the area commander of Harkat-ul-Jehad-al Islam (HUJI) operations in India, Jalaluddin alias Amanullah Mandal alias Babu.

He was arrested along with his associate, Naushad alias Haafiz.

The pre-dawn encounter occurred near the historical monument of Residency. Huge cache of arms, including nine kg of high explosives, an AK-47 rifle, two magazines and 60 cartridges of AK-47, 20 hand-grenades and 10 detonators were seized from the suspected militants.

Their arrest is the second in the last 48 hours from different parts of the State capital. On Thursday, the STF had nabbed two other HUJI members, Mohammad Yaqoob and Nasir, with seven kg of RDX and sophisticated weapons.

Director-General of Police G.L. Sharma (he was removed from his post later in the day) told a news conference here that with the arrest of the four militants the STF had busted the HUJI nodule, which had masterminded terror acts in different parts of the country. Mr. Sharma claimed that Jalaluddin was the main accused in the Shramjeevi Express blast in Jaunpur district in June 2005 and one of his men was also involved in the Sankat Mochan temple blast in Varanasi in March 2006.

He said the area commander’s accomplice, Naushad, used to implement his nefarious schemes.

Mr. Sharma said Jalaluddin has been active in India since 2001 and had recruited around 150 misguided youth who were sent for training in terror acts to Pakistan.

The HUJI operative had procured around 100 kg of RDX for distribution in different cities.

He said the HUJI members were planning a major terror attack before they were pounced upon by the STF men.

A resident of Bhilparha in 24 Pargana South district in West Bengal, Jalaluddin was involved in facilitating the supply of explosive material and masterminding blasts in selected targets.

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