Man planning 'lone wolf' attack on security forces arrested in MP's Khandwa

BHOPAL: The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of the Madhya Pradesh Police on Thursday arrested a man, allegedly associated with the Indian Mujahideen (IM), who was planning a "lone wolf" attack on security forces.

The man, identified as Faizan Sheikh, is a resident of Madhya Pradesh's Khandwa district.

He was arrested during a search operation carried out by a team of the ATS on the basis of input received about the presence of a suspected person in Khandwa.

The Inspector-General (IG) of the Madhya Pradesh ATS told media persons here that a substantial cache of “jihadi literature” associated with the IM, ISIS and other extremist groups were seized during the operation.

Besides, the ATS team also seized some confiscated items including four mobile phones, one pistol, five live cartridges and membership forms of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).

"Investigations revealed that Faizan Sheikh had been spreading propaganda through social media, sharing videos of jihadist training camps in Pakistan and posts featuring speeches by Masood Azhar of Jaish-e-Mohammad, related to the infamous Kandahar hijacking incident and content related to Mullah Omar," the ATS IG said.

"Faizan Sheikh was planning a lone wolf attack on security forces. Through this, he was trying to prove himself as a mujahid like Yashin Bhatkal and Abu Faizal," he added.

Sheikh was later produced before a district court in Khandwa, which sent him to the police remand.