Multiple Raids In Coimbatore Over Suspected Links In Lanka Blasts

The National Investigation Agency or NIA conducted raids at seven locations in Coimbatore in following reports that some people are in touch with those involved in the Easter day church blasts in Sri Lanka. Raids, that began at 7 a.m. were held in Anbu Nagar, Podanur, and Kuniyamuthur areas of the city, to name a few. A fresh case was registered two weeks ago regarding the ISIS module.

"As of now the raids are being carried out at one Mohammad Azharuddin's home, who was a Facebook friend of the Sri Lanka blast mastermind Zaharan Hashim,” an official was quoted as saying by news agency IANS.

Another accused who was searched was close to another Kerala ISIS module case accused Riyas Aboobacker, a resident of Palakkad, who was in April arrested by the investigating agency in connection with the case.

According to the investigating agency, Riyas Aboobacker was allegedly planning suicide attacks at international tourist destinations in Kerala. He was arrested from Palakkad.

The 29-year-old is said to have followed the speeches and videos of Sri Lankan Sunday Easter bombing mastermind, till he was arrested. It has been said that he was preparing himself mentally to become a suicide bomber.

The anti-terror agency had said that Riyas Aboobacker had been in contact with alleged ISIS sympathisers who went missing from 2016, besides indoctrinator Abdul Rashid Abdullah. According to the agency, he has admitted to planning a suicide terror attack in Kerala on the directions of other ISIS accused who are now based in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province.

On April 21, serial bomb attacks rocked Sri Lanka and claimed over 250 people lives. The killings were claimed by the Islamic State.

Last month, the National investigative Agency carried out searches at 10 places in Tamil Nadu in connection with the investigation into an Islamic State module case, where few people conspired to raise funds and wage armed struggle against the state.

(With Inputs from IANS, ANI)