Meet the men who 'plotted' ISIS terror attack in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Five Hyderabad-based people -- Mohammed Ibrahim Yazdani alias Ibbu, Habeeb Mohammed alias Sir, Mohammed Ilyas Yazdani, Abdullah Bin Ahmed Al Amoodi and Muzaffar Hussain Rizwan -- were arrested by NIA Tuesday after a series of searches at 10 locations in the city, with the assistance from Hyderabad Police.

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Among the arrested suspects, Mohammed Ibrahim Yazdani, Abdullah Bin Ahmed Al Amoodi aka Fahad, and Mohammed Ilyas Yazdani have been identified as the leaders.

The prime targets for the ISIS module in the city have been identified as Inorbit Mall and the IT zone in Madhapur.

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In the several-hours-long raid, NIA officials seized target boards used for shooting practice, two pistols, an air gun, explosive substances (urea, acids and Hydrogen Peroxide) and other material used for making indigenous explosive devises (IEDs) besides Rs 15 lakh in cash which the arrested claimed was earned through trade.

The suspects were apparently in touch with key ISIS recruiter Shafi Armar, a former Indian Mujahideen operative based in Syria, and took orders from him over internet.

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Mohammed Ibrahim Yazdani, 30, an engineer from Chatta Bazaar, and his brother Mohammed Iliyas Yazdani, 24, from Aman Nagar, were family friends of Fahed. The trio had started working together to attract other youngsters to IS.

Read: ISIS terrorists say they had plans for mass killing in Hyderabad

Sources said that the explosives and arms were seized from the houses of the two brothers in Amannagar and Chatta Bazaar. Apart from these three, the NIA arrested  Mohammed Irfan aka Yaqus, 27, from Zahera Nagar, Mir Alam Mandi, and Habeeb Muhammmed, 32, from Yousuf Gulshan Colony, Hashamabad.

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Here is what we know of the five arrested:

Mohammad Ibrahim Yazdani, 32

An engineering graduate from Anwarul Uloom College of Engineering and Technology, Irbahim’s parents passed away when he was young and was brought up by three of his elder brothers. After a brief stint in Middle East, he returned to Hyderabad and worked for a short time, following which he was unemployed.

Ibrahim reportedly learnt to create explosives from online manuals and amassed several litres of hydrogen peroxide over three months and bought utensils to prepare the mixtures.

Mohd Iliyas Yazdani, 24

A graduate in Computer Applications, Iliyas was nabbed with his elder brother Mohammad Ibrahim Yazdani, whom he visited daily. Like his brother, Iliyas spent a lot of time in front of the computer too. He worked part-time at a Mee Seva centre. Reports quoted relatives as saying that both brothers were mild-mannered and never showed aggressive behaviour.

Muzaffar Hussain Rizwan, 29

A tenant in Ibrahim Yazdani’s house, Hussain worked as a salesman at a shoe shop in Chatta Bazaar, where Ibrahim lives. He was reportedly very close to the Yazdani brothers.

Abdullah Bin Ahmed Al Amoodi aka Fahad, 31

A BBA graduate, Fahad, who has a son, wowed many with his skills in refitting and remodelling motorcycles. Reportedly the brain behind the module, Fahad is credited to be the one who opened channels of communication with IS handler Shafi Armar. A quiet, reserved man, the NIA reportedly claimed that Fahad also stocked up on hydrogen peroxide and acetone, and trained in bomb-making in recent months.

Habeeb Mohammad, 32

A computer science engineer from Kakatiya University, Warangal, Habeeb lived at Yousuf Gulshan Colony of Chandrayangutta, an area from where at least four youths tried to go to Syria and join IS last year. He worked as a system’s administrator with an IT company before starting an Internet café. And the NIA revealed that he purchased two pistols from Nanded, and also visited Ajmer, allegedly to meet arms suppliers. Habeeb was reportedly scouting for assault rifles.