2 ISIS-linked terror suspects planning major bomb blasts in Hyderabad arrested with explosives

In a joint operation conducted on May 18, counterintelligence units from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh arrested two men allegedly linked to an ISIS terror module. The suspects, Siraj Ur Rehman (29) from Vizianagaram and Syed Sameer (28) from the Secunderabad region of Hyderabad, were detained following intelligence inputs that led to coordinated raids in both states. Authorities seized explosive substances including ammonia, sulphur, and aluminium powder from the premises connected to the suspects.

Siraj Ur Rehman was apprehended first in Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh, where the police recovered the explosive materials. During interrogation, Siraj provided information that led to the arrest of Syed Sameer in Hyderabad. Sameer was subsequently brought to Vizianagaram under a prisoner transit warrant. The two were then presented before a local court, which remanded them to 14 days of judicial custody on charges related to plotting terrorist acts and endangering public peace under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Investigations revealed that the accused had formed a terror outfit named Al Hind Ittehadul Muslimeen (AHIM). Siraj was identified as the key leader while Sameer acted as his deputy. Both were allegedly operating under the direction of an unidentified terror handler based in Saudi Arabia, who communicated with them primarily via Instagram. The suspects procured explosive chemicals online and were reportedly educating themselves about bomb-making through internet resources.

Siraj Ur Rehman, an engineering graduate, had moved from Vizianagaram to Hyderabad under the pretext of preparing for Group-2 competitive exams, where he met Sameer multiple times to discuss their plans. Siraj returned to Vizianagaram to write the exam and arranged for the delivery of explosive chemicals to his address with the intent to carry out bomb blast rehearsals scheduled for May 21 or 22. The police operation prevented the planned activities.

These arrests follow the deadly terror attack on April 22 in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which resulted in 26 deaths. The national security environment had been heightened since then, with increased surveillance and preventive actions urged by central authorities. The arrests come in the backdrop of Operation Sindoor, India’s military offensive targeting terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, launched in response to the Pahalgam attack.