Arrested Al Qaeda-linked operative had Operation Sindoor documents: Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad

Gujarat's Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Wednesday arrested four operatives allegedly linked to a proscribed al-Qaeda outfit known as al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), officials said.

The four were said to be involved in running a fake currency racket, as well as in spreading the terror group's ideology using social media and suspicious applications to spread the terror group's ideology, an NDTV report said, citing unnamed sources.

The sources added that the terrorists had used “auto-delete” applications as well, in order to wipe out all traces of their communications.

“All four had been under close watch for their suspected association with AQIS, a banned terrorist outfit,” said Gujarat ATS DIG Sunil Joshi. He confirmed that the operation was based on specific intelligence and carried out in a coordinated manner across multiple locations.

"They were sharing their content on a religious basis, against democracy, against India," he added.

The four operatives were allegedly associated with the AQIS—which had made contact with them on social media—for a long time.

The ATS is currently analysing their chats and social media handles, in conjunction with their interrogation.

(This is a developing story.)