In a major counter-terror operation, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and Navsari Police apprehended 22-year-old Faizan Shakil Salmani on January 27 for allegedly conspiring to commit terrorist acts and incite anti-national activities. Salmani, a native of Dundawala in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, had been residing in Navsari as a tailor.
The operation followed intelligence collected by DySP Harsh Upadhyay of the Gujarat ATS, indicating that Salmani was planning attacks on prominent youths in Uttar Pradesh and plotting to support separatist activities in Kashmir. A suspicious Instagram profile, “al.faizangaza,” was traced to him, prompting a coordinated raid involving ATS officers and Navsari Police.
During the arrest, authorities seized Salmani’s mobile phone, revealing extensive digital evidence. This included hit lists of targeted individuals, maps depicting India with Kashmir marked separately, photos of people circled for assassination, and propaganda material from banned organizations Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Al-Qaeda (AQ).
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A pistol and six live rounds were recovered from his possession, along with 29 pages of literature in Arabic and Urdu inciting youth toward Jihad. Translations indicated the material aimed to recruit individuals to banned terrorist groups and glorified violent extremist acts.
Interrogation revealed Salmani had been in contact with an associate named “Mohammed Abu Bakar” for over six months via WhatsApp and Telegram. He admitted to joining extremist groups online, targeting individuals deemed offensive to Islam, and acquiring the firearm specifically for planned attacks.
The Gujarat ATS confirmed that Salmani and his associate conspired to wage war against the Government of India and foment armed rebellion in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. Legal action has been initiated under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and the Arms Act, with further investigations underway to identify other members of the network.
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