Uttar Pradesh to set up ATS unit in Sambhal soon

The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday announced the establishment of an Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) field unit in Sambhal, marking the first such unit in the Moradabad police zone.

Superintendent of Police Krishan Bishnoi said the unit will initially operate from Satyavrat Police Chowki, located near the Jama Masjid.

"Given Sambhal's links with groups like ISIS, Al-Qaeda, SIMI and Indian Mujahideen, the ATS unit is being set up here. Some suspects connected to these groups have already been arrested, and we are keeping a close watch on such activities," Bishnoi said.

The chowki, created after large-scale unrest in November 2024, also houses the district control room and CCTV monitoring centre. Officials said land will later be identified for a permanent ATS office. Until now, ATS bases in Uttar Pradesh were limited to Meerut, Noida, and Saharanpur, with other districts covered by temporary deployments.

The November 2024 unrest in Sambhal was triggered by a survey petition claiming the Jama Masjid was originally the Harihar temple. Following the violence, the district saw major security upgrades, including two new police stations, 45 additional outposts, over 200 CCTV cameras, and deployment of five companies each of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC).

SP Bishnoi added that several terrorist groups, including Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), Harkat Ul Mujahideen, SIMI, and ISIS, have been active in the past and may continue operations in different areas of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. “In future, people of such mindset should not rise here… for that a unit of ATS was needed,” he said.

The announcement comes shortly after a three-member panel, formed in November 2024 to investigate the violence that left four people dead and several injured, submitted its report to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.