More on this story. “Islamic Terrorists Intended To Target India’s Stock Exchange, BARC,”from RTTNews:
(RTTNews) – The two suspected Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islamic terrorists gunned down in an encounter in Thane in Mumbai on Wednesday intended to target the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre-BARC and the National Stock Exchange-NSE, Mumbai police said on Thursday.
The Pune and Mumbai anti-terrorist units carried out the joint operation after intelligence reports emanated that two Islamic terrorists of Bangladeshi origin had crossed the border into India and entered the financial capital, Mumbai with a plan to strike at sensitive installations.
One of the dead militant gunned down on Mira Road in Thane, was identified as Mohammed Ali from the passport recovered at the site.
“It is a major success for us. We are investigating their links,” special inspector general of police and ATS chief Hemant Karkare said on Thursday, the 15th anniversary of the 1993 serial blasts that killed over 250 people in Mumbai. The Bombay Stock Exchange was among the 12 places where RDX-triggered bombs exploded on March 12, 1993. The 14-year trial wound up last July.
“We can say they were on a planned mission. Sensitive nuclear installations and the National Stock Exchange were some of their targets,” he said.
Karkare said fake Indian currency worth Rs. 10 lakh, 2kg explosives, suspected to be RDX, and two firearms, including a Smith and Wesson pistol, were seized from the militants. The seized fake currency, in thousand-rupee notes, will be sent to the Reserve Bank of India for analysis. The explosives have been sent for forensic tests.
ATS officials said the two militants were acting as couriers and the probe would try to trace the final recipients of the contraband seized. Karkare said the ATS was probing if there was a connection between two recent fake currency hauls involving Bangladeshi nationals.
The anti-terrorist squad had arrested six Bangladeshi nationals a fortnight ago and seized fake currency worth Rs. 1.78 lakh while railway police made a similar seizure a few days ago.