NEW DELHI: A “white-collar” terror outfit recently busted by the J&K police, in which several doctors were arrested, revealed that after becoming radicalized in 2016, they formed a new terror outfit called Ansar Advocate to carry out subversive activities in the Union Territory and other areas, officials said on Sunday. The case is currently under investigation National Bureau of Investigation (National Intelligence Service).The transnational terror network first came to light on October 19 after JEM posters appeared on walls in Bunpora and Nowgam, a suburb of Srinagar. Srinagar police registered a case and analyzed CCTV footage, leading to the arrest of three locals – Arif Nisar Dar alias Sahil, Yasir-ul-Ashraf and Maqsood Ahmad Dar alias Shaheed, PTI reported.Their interrogation led to the arrest of Maulvi Irfan Ahmad, a former paramedic who became Shopian’s imam, who allegedly provided the posters and used his access to radicalize the doctors.Investigators later discovered that the accused doctors – Muzamil Gannie, Umer-un-Nabi (now deceased) and Adeelrath – and his brothers Muzzafarrath (absconding), Maulvi Irfan, Qari Aamir and Tufail Gazi met at Eidgah in downtown Srinagar in April 2022. “Ameer” (Chief), Maulvi Irfan as “Deputy Ameer” and Gannie as Treasurer.Among militant groups, Ansar is often associated with the globally banned terrorist group Al Qaeda, officials noted.The arrested doctors and preachers told interrogators that they formed a new group after losing contact with active terrorists. Roles and operational codes were assigned, and Umer acted as coordinator and worked with Gannie on finance and procurement.In 2023, the group started procuring materials, including fertilizers, from Sohna and Nuh in Haryana. NPK (commonly referred to as potassium nitrate in this article) was also purchased from a chemical store in Faridabad as per Umer’s instructions. According to PTI, the arrested doctor said during interrogation that Umer watched online videos, learned the basic structure of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and successfully prepared tripacetone triperoxide (TATP), a peroxide explosive that was used as a filler in IEDs in many terror attacks.Officials said Adil began recruiting members and brought in a man named Danish, also known as Jasir, from south Kashmir. Adil took him to a rented accommodation in Al Falah University, Faridabad, where the two saw Umer and Ghani preparing TATP explosive materials. Umer later tried to convince the Danes to carry out a “fidayeen” (suicide) attack, but he withdrew at the last minute, citing his poor financial situation and his belief that suicide was forbidden in Islam.Umer, a 28-year-old doctor from Pulwama, is believed to be the most militant member and key figure in the network spanning Kashmir, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Officials suspect he had been planning a powerful vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) blast, intending to place it in a crowded spot in the nation’s capital or at a site of religious importance and then flee.However, the plot failed after Srinagar police arrested Ghani and seized the explosives, sending Umer into panic, which led to a premature explosion outside the Red Fort on November 10, killing more than a dozen people. Investigators also found that Umer had previously tried unsuccessfully to join a terrorist organization in 2016 and 2018.
