In a high-alert security operation, a terror plot with links to ISIS was thwarted by coordinated action from Telangana’s Counter Intelligence and Andhra Pradesh police. Acting on precise intelligence, on May 18, police arrested two individuals — Siraj-ur-Rehman (29) from Vizianagaram and Syed Sameer (28) from Bhoiguda, Hyderabad — who were allegedly planning bomb blasts using improvised tiffin box explosives.
The suspects were reportedly acting under instructions from ISIS handlers based in Saudi Arabia. According to investigators, the accused, along with four other operatives from Karnataka and Maharashtra, had formed an encrypted Instagram group to coordinate the conspiracy. The group held a secretive three-day meeting in Hyderabad to plan attacks and assign responsibilities — two were tasked with assembling explosive devices, while the others were directed to scout targets for detonation.
The arrest led to the seizure of key bomb-making materials, including ammonium nitrate, sulphur, aluminium powder, and remote cell components. Investigations revealed that Siraj ordered tiffin boxes, wires, and other items online, presumably for assembling IEDs.
Police also suspect he conducted a bomb-making rehearsal in the Rampachodavaram forest region in Andhra Pradesh. His frequent travel to Saudi Arabia over the past six months has further deepened concerns about transnational terror links.
Residents of Bhoiguda, Hyderabad, raised alarms about Sameer’s suspicious behaviour and alleged attempts to target the Secunderabad Railway Station. Locals also claimed he maintained contact with radicalised groups from Hyderabad’s old city.
As per reports, a remand report submitted by the Vizianagaram police details the operational structure of the module and confirms that the men were in direct contact with overseas handlers. Based on initial findings, a petition seeking custody of the accused has been filed to facilitate further interrogation, especially regarding recruitment patterns and potential targets in Hyderabad and beyond.
The case is likely to be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for a thorough and nationwide probe. Authorities are on high alert, and efforts are underway to identify and apprehend the remaining four members of the cell.
