Delhi (India), February 15, 2023: In a major crackdown against suspected links to the banned terror outfit ISIS, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has conducted raids in 60 locations across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.
The raids come in connection with last year’s blasts in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore and Karnataka’s Mangaluru.
The October 2022 Coimbatore blast killed Jameza Mubin, who had been questioned by the NIA over alleged ISIS links in 2019. Police had said a search of Mubin’s house later led to the recovery of ‘low-intensity explosive material,’ which seemed to be meant for ‘future plans.’
In December last year, the NIA took over the investigation into the November 19 Mangaluru autorickshaw blast that injured two people, including the prime suspect, Mohammad Shareeq. A burnt pressure cooker fitted with batteries was found inside the auto. Karnataka police had said that “The blast was not accidental but an act of terror with the intention to cause serious damage.”
Intelligence sources have revealed that Shareeq had visited forest areas in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala in November with the intention to establish the ISIS terror module in South India.
A group calling itself the “Islamic Resistance Council” had claimed responsibility for the autorickshaw blast. Typed in English and printed with Shareeq’s photo, the letter said he “attempted to attack the Hindutva Temple in Kadri, a bastion of the Saffron terrorists in Mangalore.”
