Islamic State men were planning to attack police station in Hyderabad after making powerful bombs: Report

The Islamic State (IS) suspects had planned to incite communal violence during the ongoing holy month of Ramadan in Hyderabad.

Hyderabad: The National Investigation Agency on Thursday interrogated six Islamic State (IS) suspects for a second day for their alleged role in plans to attack locations across Hyderabad, an official said.

The NIA had questioned them for over 12 hours on Wednesday, after picking them along with five other suspects in an early morning raid at 10 locations in Hyderabad.

Earlier, reports had said that those arrested had planned to incite communal violence during the ongoing holy month of Ramadan.

The 'IS sympathisers' had planned to place cow and buffalo meat at the Bhagyalakshmi temple at the base of the iconic Charminar with an aim to trigger communal violence.

Today, news agency ANI quoted NIA sources as saying that the suspects are now being questioned on which police station or temples apart from Bhagyalakshmi temple were on their target.

The sources further revealed that the cell was planning attacking a police station in Hyderabad after making powerful bombs.

Notably, one airgun, two .9 mm pistols, nails, two airgun target boards and other material like chemicals used for making explosives and Improvised Explosive Devises (IEDs) were seized during the raids. Cash totalling Rs 15 lakh, 23 mobile phones, three laptops and seven pen drives were also seized.

All the suspects - aged between 20 and 42 - were allegedly plotting bomb attacks and indiscriminate firing at shopping malls and crowded places in Hyderabad, NIA sources had said.