The Indian anti-terror squad has arrested a total of 16 individuals who are connected to the jihadis

A Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT) module was broken up and 16 Islamic jihadis were arrested by the Madhya Pradesh anti-terrorist squad on Tuesday, May 9th. The operation was conducted in coordination with the Intelligence Bureau and Telangana state police. On that same day, two simultaneous raids were conducted in Hyderabad, Telangana and Bhopal and Chhindwara city in Madhya Pradesh, resulting in the arrest of five individuals in Hyderabad and eleven in Bhopal and Chhindwara.

The accused had been under surveillance by intelligence agencies and police after receiving information from international agencies about HuT's plan to establish a base in India. Once again, the commonly held belief that individuals turn to terrorism due to a lack of education has been challenged by this operation. The authorities have verified that among the individuals who were arrested, one was a professor working in a Hyderabad college, while another was a computer engineer from Bhopal.

The other accused individuals had a range of professions, including fitness instructors, tailors, vehicle drivers, computer technicians, and laborers. It has been reported that one of them even managed a coaching facility in Bhopal. Despite having educational and financial resources available to them, they still chose to pursue terrorism and were actively preparing to launch an attack against India.

As per a statement by the police, the individuals had jihadi literature and items such as laptops, hard drives, pen drives, cash, and other belongings in their possession, and these have been recovered. The MP Police has registered a case against them under IPC sections 13, 17, and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, and they have been sent to ATS custody until May 19 by a special court. The outfit in question was last active in India in 2010, and its sudden revival in a secular country has come as a surprise.

Reports suggest that it has been secretly recruiting and training new militants in Madhya Pradesh. According to investigators, the men who were arrested were practicing shooting and receiving combat training in camps located in remote jungle areas. They were provided with various jihadi materials and were subjected to provocative lectures during regular religious gatherings.