23 terror modules operate in Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh had its worst brush with terror on Friday when blasts ripped through three cities in the state.

While this attack remains UP's worst incident, the fact remains that the state has increasingly becoming a hot bed for terrorist outfits since 2001.

Intelligence Bureau reports point out that there are 23 terror cells operating in Uttar Pradesh.

The first time a major terror operation was busted in Uttar Pradesh was in 2001 when the police foiled a major bid to attack the disputed makeshift temple at the Ram Janmabhoomi site and killed three terrorists.

The Intelligence Bureau says there are 130 terror modules including sleeper cells that operate across the country, most of which are in Uttar Pradesh.

Reports suggest terrorists favour UP for two reasons. Varanasi and Ayodhya are hot on the terror list because any attack in these places could cause communal violence across the country.

The blasts in Hyderabad were aimed at causing communal tension.

Even the Ajmer Dargah blasts were aimed at causing communal tension, the IB says.

The UP blasts that took place in court premises were aimed at both creating communal tension and also to send across a strong message to the judiciary which is hearing the Ram Janmabhoomi case.

However, senior police officers point out that terrorists are hardly bothered about issues such as a Ram temple. These attacks are a double-edged sword. First and foremost it would cause communal tension and secondly it would show the country that terrorist outfits are concerned about the manner in which such issues are being handled by the government.

Another major reason for choosing UP is because of the proximity this state has to New Delhi. IB reports state that apart from causing communal disharmony, setting base in UP is a strategic plan by the terrorists to target New Delhi. The terror cells in UP are also being used to strike at New Delhi, the IB says.

For the past six years there has been a constant face off between the police and the terrorists in Uttar Pradesh. The IB says this will remain a problem in the future and the only way to curb this menace is to remain vigilant. So far, there have been at least 39 terrorists who have been arrested in UP while 10 have been killed.

Reports state that several persons recruited into the terror cells are from the banned SIMI outfit which is well-aware of the jurisdiction of the state.

These persons are trained in the use of explosives and are later given the task of planning attacks across the state.