India has arrested nine suspected al-Qaeda Islamists who are alleged to have planned attacks in the capital, New Delhi and other locations in the country. The group had important facilities in its sights with the aim of killing innocent people, the National Investigative Agency (NIA) said today.
Six of the extremists were arrested in the eastern state of West Bengal and three in the southern state of Kerala. They are connected to the Pakistan-supported part of the Islamist organization al-Qaeda. Pakistan did not initially comment. India’s arch-rival has repeatedly denied supporting extremists.
The two nuclear powers are fighting mainly over the Himalayan region of Kashmir. Since their independence from Great Britain in 1947, they have waged three wars against each other.
