The Delhi Police’s Special Cell on Thursday claimed to have busted an  Al Qaeda-inspired terror module after arresting 11 people and detaining three others from Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

Six of the suspects were arrested from Bhiwadi in Rajasthan while they were undergoing training to handle weapons, according to a police officer. They have been identified as Hasan Ansari, Enamul Ansari, Altaf Ansari, Arshad Khan, Umar Farroq and Shahbaz Ansari, all natives of Jharkhand. They were staying in Rajasthan for the past few days, the officer said.

Five more people were arrested from Ranchi in Jharkhand. They have been identified as Dr Ishtiyaq Ahmed, Motiur, Rizwan, Mufti Rahmatullah and Faizan, he added.

A senior police official said the operation by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police was conducted, along with the police forces of the States after receiving intelligence inputs. “In a coordinated, intelligence based operation, conducted by the Special Cell of Delhi Police in association with State Police forces of Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, an Al Qaeda (AQ) inspired module has been busted,” a Delhi Police statement said. The terror module was aiming to declare ‘khilafat’ in the country and was planning for carrying out terrorist activities across India.

“The module, as per current state of operations, was being led by one Dr. Ishtiyaq of Ranchi (Jharkhand), and it was aspiring to declare ‘khilafat’ and execute serious terrorist activities within the country,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Public Relations Office) Suman Nalwa stated.

Members of the Al Qaeda inspired terror module were indoctrinated by the extremist ideologies and were also being trained at various locations to execute terrorist activities. “The members of the module have received indoctrination and weapons training at various locations. Six people were detained from Bhiwadi in Rajasthan while they were undergoing training to handle weapons, and eight from Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh for questioning,” it said.

The members of the terror module were trained, including in handling weapons, at various locations, including in the jungles of the Aravalli Hills in Rajasthan, another officer said. He said a massive operation was launched in the hill’s jungles to nab the suspects. The Delhi Police said three more people were detained from Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh for questioning.

Interrogations are currently underway at various locations and additional arrests are anticipated in the matter as the operation is ongoing. Raids are being conducted in several locations to recover arms, ammunition and literature, the officials said. “Moreover, so far 15 places in Ranchi, one in Rajasthan and one in Aligarh (Uttar Pradesh) have been raided,” the statement said.

It is suspected that the module was planning to execute a terror incident in the northern part of India during the upcoming festive season, they said. A senior police officer, privy to the operations, said that the Al Qaeda module has been active for the past few months and its members connected through social media.

A case under section of 61 (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was registered by the Special Cell on July 15, and since then, the anti-terror unit was collecting details of the suspects, the sources said.