By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, December 16, 2015 : Odisha is likely to be the next target of cross board terrorism following the arrest of the suspected al-Qaeda operative Mohd Abdur Rehmanby police from a village near Cuttack city.

Acting in concert with a Delhi Police team, Rehman, 37, a resident of Paschimakachha village, was arrested on Tuesday night after tracking his phone calls, police sources said.

Rehman is suspected to have links in Saudi Arabia, Dubai, United Kingdom and Pakistan. His brother was arrested in the 2001 US consulate attack in Kolkata.

A local court in Cuttack district on Wednesday allowed the Delhi police to take the suspected al-Qaeda operative on a two-day transit remand to the national capital.

The Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) court in Salepur this evening allowed Delhi police to take Rehman on a two-day transit remand to New Delhi for further interrogation.

The police had prayed the court for a three-day remand. However, the court allowed the Delhi police only two days remand.

The suspected terrorist was flown to New Delhi in a special flight from the Biju Patnaik International Airport tonight at 9.30 pm.

Notably, a case has been registered against Rehman under Sec 18, 18 (B), 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for suspected links with terrorist outfit al-Qaeda in the Indian sub-Continent [AQIS].

Prior to producing him before the court, health check up was done on him at the local court here due to security reasons. Amid tight security, the suspected terrorist was produced before the court and later whisked away by the police personnel.

In Delhi, a prominent Al Qaeda operative was arrested on Wednesday close on the heels of another terrorist’s arrest from the same outfit in Odisha.