Discovery of al-Qaeda terrorist module shocks quiet village in Rajasthan

ALWAR: After the discovery of an al-Qaeda terrorist module network in the forest and hilly areas of Sare Kalan village in Bhiwadi's Chopanki police station area a day earlier, TOI on Friday visited the site where the suspects allegedly stayed and set up camping tents.

The area was littered with water bottles and snacks and had a small waterfall that provided them with water, minimizing the need for frequent outside trips. The isolated location would have allowed them to conduct training without drawing attention.

Delhi police conducted a thorough search operation for over 7 hours, leading to the arrest of six suspects on Thursday. Locals who witnessed the search reported seeing food items and cartons with a Delhi address. However, those who graze their animals in the forest claimed they had no knowledge of any terrorist module operating or training there. They said they never heard gunshots or saw suspicious outsiders. On Thursday, the Delhi police prevented them from entering the forest with their cattle, forcing them to move to the other side.

Despite the claims, local residents expressed doubts about the presence of terrorist training in the area, stating that they roam the hills daily and have never noticed anything suspicious. It is possible that the suspects operated carefully to avoid detection. Jaipur Range IG Anil Tank acknowledged the gravity of the situation and stated that the matter was under investigation. During his visit to Alwar, Tank clarified to the media in Bhiwadi's Chopanki that the Delhi police had not shared any inputs with the Rajasthan police about a terrorist network in the state. He mentioned that the Delhi police had requested security assistance, which was provided by the Bhiwadi police. "The arrest of six suspects by Delhi police is concerning and Rajasthan police is investigating the matter seriously," Tank said. However, he assured that Rajasthan was safe and there was no threat to the state.

When asked about the recovery of weapons like AK-47s, the IG said that Delhi police have not shared such information. According to sources, Delhi police recovered training-related weapons from the suspects, including "an AK-47 rifle, an air rifle, a .38-bore revolver, an iron elbow pipe, a hand grenade and six live cartridges for the AK-47 rifle," on Thursday.

The recovery of weapons and training equipment suggests that the suspects were planning something sinister. It is crucial that the interrogation yields more information about their intentions and any potential threats to national security.