'Most wanted' IS terrorist nabbed, say Delhi Police

The Delhi Police special cell on Monday announced that they have arrested a 32-year-old terrorist who was on the National Investigation Agency (NIA) most wanted list for his alleged involvement in a Pune module of banned extremist organisation Islamic State (IS).

Shahnawaz Alam alias Shafi Uzzama was arrested from Jaitpur in south Delhi, officers aware of the development said, adding that two of his associates, Mohammad Rizwan Ashraf and Mohammad Arshad Warsi, were arrested after raids at different places in Uttar Pradesh. The three were planning to carry out terror attacks in north India on the instructions of foreign-based IS handlers, the police said.

"While Ashraf was arrested from Lucknow, Wars was nabbed from Moradabad. The police recovered a pistol, some cartridges, an elementary plastic tube, iron pipes, different types of chemicals, and timing devices from Shahnwaz. Most of these items are used in making explosives. We have also recovered literature for making bombs, which was sent by foreign-based IS handlers," HGS Dhaliwal, special commissioner of police (special cell), said.