Were ISIS men planning attack during Ramzan

According to Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) sources, the two men with alleged ISIS links who were arrested in Parbhani — Shahed Khan (24) and Naser Chaus (31) — were allegedly planning an attack on a Shia structure during Ramzan. Officials said that they had a list of structures in the Marathwada region on their target list.

While Chaus was arrested early this month, Khan was arrested on June 24 after his name cropped up during investigations. Khan, a Parbhani resident, was arrested with one and a half kilos of explosives. ATS sources said that he was recruited by Chaus, who had allegedly been asked to plan a terror attack in the state by an ISIS operative in Syria identified only as Farooque.

“Khan had finished an industrial training (ITI) course, but was unemployed. He met Chaus on a chatting portal when both of them started discussing ISIS. Later, when Chaus was asked by Farooque to stay in India and plan a terror attack in the state, he recruited Khan,” said an officer. According to ATS sources, Khan had made an improvised explosive device comprising sulphur, urea, matchstick powder, and a triggering device was embedded in a car remote key.

“He kept all the explosives in his grandmother's house,” said an officer. Khan is married with four children.

Investigators said that Khan and Chaus formed the “Parbhani module”. “Our investigations reveal that they were planning an attack on the Shia community. They were mostly going to attack a Shia religious structure,” said an officer. However, he declined to comment on why they would want to attack a Shia structure. “They are not divulging details of where they were planning the attack but we suspect it was in the Marathwada region, he said.

Sources further revealed that this attack was to be executed before Eid. “Their plan was to attack during the month of Ramzan. We are still investigating the case,” said the officer.