New Delhi, Feb 8 (IANS): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested an alleged terrorist of Al-Qaeda for hatching a conspiracy to execute an IED blast in Lucknow.

A senior NIA official said that the accused was identified as Tawheed Ahmad Shah, a resident of Jammu & Kashmir. He was placed under arrest on Monday.

The official said that the earlier UP ATS lodged the case in July 2021 at Police Station Gomtinagar against the accused persons who had entered into a conspiracy for recruiting members for Al-Qaeda affiliate AGH (Ansaar Gajwatul Hind) and for carrying out terrorist activities in Lucknow.

On January 5, the NIA had filed charge sheet against five alleged terrorists who were earlier arrested in the case.

The NIA's investigation revealed that the arrested accused Tawheed was the mastermind of the conspiracy. He was allegedly recruiting people and was provoking them to commit terrorist acts in the name of AGH.

He was also procuring arms and ammunition and explosive materials which were meant to be used for attacks in UP.

The NIA said that further investigation is underway.