Suicide vest found in ISIS operative's home; was planning fidayeen blast

A huge cache of explosives including an explosive jacket meant for a suicide terrorist attack was recovered from the house of suspected ISIS operative Abu Yusuf in Balrampur of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday (August 23), a day after he was arrested by Delhi police, reported ANI.

Quoting sources, ANI said the jacket was meant for a fidayeen (suicide) attack.

Balrampur: Incriminating materials recovered from the residence of ISIS operative Abu Yusuf who was arrested yesterday in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/GiKPsoM7Dg

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) August 23, 2020

While Yusuf’s father said he was unaware of his son’s activities, his wife told ANI that he had stored gunpowder and other materials at their house despite her protests.

“He had stored gunpowder and other materials at home here. When I told him he should not do such things, he told me that I should not stop him. I wish he could be forgiven. I have four kids. Where will I go?” she was quoted as saying.

“I regret he was involved in such activities. I wish he could be forgiven for once if possible but his act is wrong. Had I known about his activities I would have asked him to leave us,” Yusuf’s father Kafeel Ahmed said.

Related news: Arrested ISIS operative had planned solo attack in crowded area: Police

Yusuf was arrested by the Special Cell of Delhi police after an exchange of fire near the Ridge Road area of central Delhi. The department’s DCP Pramod Kushwaha said the operative, was planning a lone-wolf attack in a crowded area. Two pressure cooker IEDs weighing around 15 kg, a .30 bore pistol and four cartridges were recovered from his bag.

The national capital was put on high alert after Yusuf was nabbed. A police team was sent with him to his residence in Balrampur on Saturday to conduct more searches.

“He (Abu Yusuf) was in direct touch of ISIS commanders. Initially, he was handled by Yusuf Alhindi who was killed in Syria. Later, Abu Huzafa, a Pakistani was handling him and he promised to call him to Pakistan. Huzafa was later killed in a drone strike in Afghanistan. His next handler commanded him to operate as a lone-wolf operative from India only,” Kushwaha told reporters.

The DCP also said that Yusuf after interrogation revealed that he has initially planned to carry out the attack on Independence Day, but postponed it due to heavy security arrangements.