Hours before last phase of voting in UP, encounter between suspected terrorist, ATS in Lucknow

The incident comes hours after a blast on a Bhopal-Ujjain train in which at least eight people were injured and on the eve of the seventh phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh.

At least one suspected terrorist is holed up in a home in Thakurganj, Lucknow. The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad is on the spot and an encounter is on.

The operation is the result of the UP police receiving inputs regarding possible terror suspects in the state. Following the inputs, one team was sent to Kanpur while the other team arrived in Lucknow. The Kanpur team has made one arrest in the matter.

The incident comes hours after a blast on a Bhopal-Ujjain train in which at least eight people were injured and on the eve of the seventh phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh.

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UP Director General of Police says they are trying to convince the suspect to surrender.

An ambulance has reached the encounter spot.

Continuous firing heard from inside the house. Police has used fired stun grenades inside the house.

The encounter is in its last stage, and ATS team has stormed the house.

Saifullah, the suspect in a standoff with the UP ATS, is a suspect in the train blast.

In a related development, the Madhya Pradesh Inspector General (law and order) has confirmed that the Bhopal-Ujjain train blast was a terrorist attack.

Sources say more terror suspects could be hiding in the state. Search operations on.

UP-based ISIS module carried out the blast in a train in Bhopal today morning, sources tell India Today. Three suspects picked up from Madhya Pradesh. Two located in Uttar Pradesh. One arrested from Kanpur, other one holed up in Thakurganj.

Uttar Pradesh police's commandos will be used for the operation.

The tip off regarding the suspects came in from outside the state.

One man was arrested from Kanpur.

Chowdhary added, that tip off regarding the supsect came in today morning. Following the inputs, UP police dispatched two teams, one Kanpur and the other to Lucknow.

Will only be able to find out about the suspect's links and background once we conduct investigations, he adds.

We are trying to arrest him alive...but can't say say anything more on the operation, the ADG adds.

Additional Director General (law and order), Daljeet Choudhary said the suspect is from Lucknow and has weapons on him.

Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi briefs Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

Firing as resumed between cops and the suspect(s).

He added that there may be more than one suspected terrorist.

UP DGP has said that the operation to flush out the suspect is ongoing.

According to MHA sources, Uttar Pradesh police received a tip off regarding the suspect from authorities in southern states.

On being asked to surrender Saifulah refused saying 'I want to attain shahadat'.

A meeting between is on between the UP principal secretary and the DGP.

Inspector General of the ATS is personally leading the operation.

Firing was earlier reported from the area, but has now stopped.

The ATS team is using tear gas to flush him out and firing has been reported from the area.