2005 Ayodhya Terror Attack: What happened at disputed Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site on July 5?

Five heavily-armed terrorists had made an attempt to storm the high-security makeshift Ram temple in Ayodhya on July 5, 2005 and were killed by the security forces before they could strike at the shrine. 

The attack had left two locals dead and injured seven security personnel. All five terrorists were eliminated by security forces in retaliatory action.

The attack occurred at around 8.15 am. The attackers came in a hired jeep bearing registration number UP-42-T-0618. The driver of the taxi, Rehan Alam, a resident of Ayodhya, who also got down along with five terrorists a short distance away from the barricade, survived the attack and was arrested. The driver claimed that the attackers had hired his vehicle telling him that they wanted to pay obeisance at the makeshift temple and some other shrines in Ayodhya before being dropped in Lucknow.

Five heavily-armed terrorists, in the guise of devotees, attempted to carry out a suicide attack near the makeshift temple at the disputed site on July 5, 2005. They came in two vehicles. While the first vehicle, laden with explosives targeted the first barricade and stunned the security forces, other terrorists got down a jeep and attacked the security personnel. 

After blasting the outer barricade of the complex, they tried to move towards the inner barricading where troops of the 33rd battalion of the CRPF were deployed.

The terrorists got down from the vehicle and fired heavily at the troops and lobbed grenades in order to storm the Sanctum Sanctorum. They fired indiscriminately with sophisticated weapons, including AK-47 and carbine rifles, while entering the premises of the disputed area.

They were challenged by the personnel of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and the CRPF near the 'Sita Rasoi' temple, part of the disputed area, and were gunned down nearly 70 metres short of the temple in an operation lasting about 90 minutes.

One terrorist was blown to pieces in the suicide bombing while others were killed in the exchange of fire with security forces.

The verdict in the case came nearly 14 years since the attack and after 371 hearings and testimonies by 63 people. While Irrfan belongs to Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur, the four others are from Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir. 

Special judge Dinesh Chandra announced the verdict inside the Naini Central Jail where the accused are lodged.

While the court sentenced four persons to life imprisonment, it acquitted one accused for lack of evidence. It also imposed a fine of Rs 2.4 lakh on each of the four, Public Prosecutor Gulab Chandra Agrahari told reporters.

Agrahari said that the four who got life imprisonment are: Doctor Irrfan, Shakeel Ahmed, Asif Iqbal and Mohammed Naseem; while Mohammed Aziz was acquitted for lack of evidence.

Agrahari said that Naseem procured a mobile SIM card using documents attested by Aziz and on the direction of Pakistan-based terrorist Kari. He said that the vehicle, having a Jammu registration number, that was used to carry weapons for the attack was owned by Shakeel Ahmed. Kari paid Rs 2.20 lakh to Shakeel to use the vehicle but the latter was told it will remain in his name, Agrahari said. The vehicle was used to bring weapons to Aligarh on June 5, 2005 and it returned to Jammu on June 7. 

The public prosecutor said Asif Iqbal was the main accused in the case and Kari gave him the SIM purchased by Naseem. He said that one of the terrorists killed during the gunfight has been identified as Arshad. 

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath welcomed the conviction. On the sole acquittal in the case, he said the state government would take appropriate action after examining the ruling.

"The court judgement is welcome. For one person who has been acquitted, necessary action will be taken after seeking legal opinion. The government will keep an eye on the case," he said in a statement.