NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested nine terror accused associated with a Pakistan-sponsored module of the al-Qaeda on Saturday after conducting simultaneous raids at several locations in Kerala and West Bengal.

The raids were conducted in the early hours at Ernakulam in Kerala and Murshidabad in West Bengal, as told by an official to a news agency.

The NIA had learnt about an inter-state module of al-Qaeda operatives at various locations in India, including West Bengal and Kerala. Six were arrested from West Bengal and three from Kerala during the raids.

The group was planning to launch terror attacks at vital installations in the country with an aim to kill innocent people.

The NIA registered a case on September 11 and launched a probe.

Incriminating materials, including digital devices, documents, jihadi literature, sharp weapons, country-made firearms, a locally-fabricated body armour, articles and literature for making home-made explosive devices have been seized from their possession.

Going by initial investigation, the module was actively indulging in fund-raising and a few members of gang were planning to travel to Delhi to procure arms and ammunition.

All the terrorists arrested today - Murshid Hasan, Iyakub Biswas, Mosaraf Hossen, Najmus Sakib, Abu Sufiyan, Mainul Mondal, Leu Yean Ahmed, Al Mamun Kamal and Atitur Rehman - will be taken to courts in Kerala and Bengal to seek their police custody, as reported by NDTV.