India police arrest chief of "local Al-Qaeda branch"December 18, 2015 - 10:37 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Police in the Indian capital, Delhi, say they have arrested two key members of the "Indian branch" of al-Qaeda, BBC News reports. They say the arrests are a significant blow to the group's operations in the sub-continent. One of those detained is Muhammad Asif who is a founding member of al-Qaeda in the region, police said. Al-Qaeda set up its South Asian operation just over a year ago, saying it brought together militant groups from across the region. The group has said it was behind the killings of four secular bloggers in Bangladesh as well as several attacks in Pakistan. Indian authorities said the two arrested men were involved in recruiting young Indians to the group. They said Muhammad Asif, who is from the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, was arrested from under a flyover in the eastern state of Orissa on his way to meet a contact. Three mobile phones, a laptop and "other incriminating articles" were seized from him, the police said. The arrest of Asif, 41, led to the capture of the second man, who, it is alleged, ran social media for the al-Qaeda cell. Delhi police say the arrests will provide crucial leads to uncovering the group's operations within India and in neighboring countries. The al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri said its regional unit would be good news for Muslims in Myanmar (Burma), Bangladesh and the Indian states of Assam, Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir, where they would be rescued from injustice and oppression. Correspondents say that although al-Qaeda still has no substantial presence on the ground in India, there is concern that it is trying to reach out to disaffected Muslim youth, especially in Kashmir and Gujarat. Islamic militant groups operating in India have so far been mostly connected to Kashmiri separatists and have links, tenuous at best, to al-Qaeda via Pakistan-based groups. Related links: Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Your home is in Armenia – Ameriabank offers mortgage loans for the Diaspora To buy real estate, Diasporans can apply to Ameriabank online to buy, renovate or build a home anywhere in Armenia. Armenia-Qatar ties discussed in Doha The Secretary of Armenia’s Security Council met with the Deputy Secretary General of the National Security Council of Qatar. ARARAT special evening dedicated to Aznavour's 100th Anniv. On May 20 ARARAT legendary Armenian brandy, celebrated the centennial of Maestro Charles Aznavour with a special event. Surveying works underway in Armenia’s Kirants Surveying works are underway in the Armenian village of Kirants in the northern Tavush province. |