‘1947 killings made Pak terrorist embrace jehad’

New Delhi, Aug 4 :

Suspected Indian Mujahideen operative Zia-ur-Rahman embraced jehad after learning about Muslim killings during the 1947 India-Pakistan partition, Delhi Police told a court here Monday.

The Pakistani, known widely by his alias Waqas, also told police that terrorist groups were active in raising funds and recruiting young boys for jehad in Pakistan.

The Delhi Police statement came in its fresh set of charges filed in the court of Additional Sessions Judge Reetesh Singh against Waqas for the 2010 Jama Masjid terror attack here.

Waqas, 25, told police that when he was 10-12 years old, terrorist outfits such as Hizbul Mujahideen, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Harkat-ul-Ansaar raised funds and recruited young boys for jehad.

“His (Waqas) elders used to say that a lot of Muslims were killed during the partition of India and Pakistan. He developed an urge to go to Kashmir and fight against India,” police said in the chargesheet.

Police added that Waqas trained in a Taliban camp in Waziristan.

“In those 40 days, he was trained in the handling of arms and explosives and circuits of improvised explosive devices,” police said.

He came in contact with Indian Mujahideen chief Riyaz and Iqbal Bhatkal in Karachi. Riyaz sent him to India for terrorist activities to avenge the “atrocities” committed against Muslims in India.

Waqas came to India in September 2010 and hatched a conspiracy with others in the Indian Mujahideen to carry out the Jama Masjid attack so as to dissuade other countries from taking part in the Commonwealth Games.

Arrested in March, Waqas was also allegedly involved in the serial blasts in Mumbai in 2011.

(IANS)