Delhi police arrest three suspected members of al Qaeda India wing

Arrested militants announced the formation of Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) in September 2014

NEW DELHI: Indian police have arrested three suspected members of an Indian wing of al Qaeda, an officer said on Thursday, describing the detentions as the first successful raid on the militant group since it was set up last year.

Militants announced the formation of Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) in September 2014, vowing to raise the flag of jihad across the region.

Arvind Deep, a special police commissioner in the capital, said police were interrogating the three members of the group who were arrested in different Indian states.



"We have busted this module before they could do anything, so it is a big achievement," Deep told Reuters.

One of the suspects, identified as Mohammad Asif, was a founder member of the group, police said.

Delhi police said in a statement the arrests were likely to reveal other al Qaeda affiliates in India.



India has in the past faced attacks from home-grown religious militants. Until the formation of AQIS, there was no evidence that al Qaeda had a presence in India.