UP: 9 kgs of explosives, suicide vests seized from ISIS suspect's house

New Delhi: A Delhi Police Special Cell team seized around 8 to 9 kgs of explosives apart from suicide jackets and vests following a search at arrested ISIS operative Mohammad Mustakim Khan alias Abu Yusuf Khan's house in Balrampur in Uttar Pradesh, a senior police officer said on Sunday.

"Khan was taken to his native village by the Special Cell team on Saturday for the search operation at his house. A jacket fitted with 3 packets of explosives and another jacket with 4 packets of explosives were among the seized items," said Special Cell DCP P.S. Kushwah.

According to police, each of the packets removed from the seized jackets was wrapped in transparent tape and contained explosive material and cardboard sheets on which ball bearings were glued.

"A leather belt fitted with around 3 kgs of explosives was also seized along with a total of 8 to 9 kgs of explosive material," the officer said.

Three cylindrical metal boxes containing explosives along with taped electricity wires and two other cylindrical boxes containing ball bearings were also seized.

"A wooden box used for target practice by firearms and an ISIS flag were also seized from the house, apart from two mobile chargers, a table clock attached with electric wires, ball bearings, two lithium batteries of 4V each, one lithium battery of 9V along with one-ampere meter," Kushwah said.

The officer said the ISIS operative was arrested along with two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) after an exchange of fire in central Delhi's Ridge Road area on Friday night. Two pressure cookers fitted with IEDs, a pistol with four cartridges and one Apache motorcycle were seized from him.

The ISIS operative was allegedly handled by Pakistani Abu Huzaifa through social media before Huzaifa was killed in a drone strike in Khorasan in Afghanistan last year. Police said Khan learnt to make IEDs on the internet and was active since 2015 in India after joining the ISIS.

The Delhi Police said that his arrest had averted a major terror strike as he had planned to visit Delhi on Independence Day but couldn't indulge in any terror activity due to heavy security.

A Delhi court on Saturday remanded Khan to eight-day police custody after which he was immediately taken to his hometown for the search operation.