Indian Mujahideen explosives expert held in Hyderabad
Dealing body blow to IM,Kerala police nabbed Zainudeen alias Abdul Sattar.
By ET Bureau |
NEW DELHI: Dealing a body blow to the Indian Mujahideen���s (IM) terror operations that extend from UP to Kerala, the Kerala police have nabbed E T Zainudeen alias Abdul Sattar, a top-notch IM leader and the source of explosives used in attacks at both Bangalore and Surat.
That Sattar, who was picked up from Hyderabad late on Tuesday night, is a prized catch is confirmed by senior intelligence operatives who claim that he figured as high in the IM hierarchy as Riyaz Bhatkal, who the Mumbai police claim is the founder of Indian Mujahideen and the mastermind behind the serial blasts that rocked Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Delhi last year. Sattar had reportedly hosted Bhatkal on at least two occasions.
Sattar, according to intelligence sources, was as active as Bhatkal, the most wanted IM figure, in planning and plotting terror strikes as well as recruiting and motivating youth into the IM terror factory. An expert at making bombs, he put together the integrated circuit devices used in Bangalore and Surat. The ICDs-based bombs in Surat had, however, failed to explode due to a technical fault.
Sattar, a native of Kondotty in Malappuram district of Kerala had been absconding since 1998 and was wanted in a case relating to a plot to assassinate former chief minister E K Nayanar. He also figured prominently in the wanted list of Gujarat, Delhi, Maharashtra and Karnataka police, owing to his alleged role in the blasts there.
The Kerala police was in hot pursuit of Sattar, who has reportedly been living in Hyderabad for the last several years, after the killing of four Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists of Kerala origin in an encounter at Kupwara in J&K exposed a recent terror recruitment from the state.
Sattar, who himself has received training from the Lashkar-e-Toiba, was related to one of the four terrorists killed in J&K, Abdul Raheem, who was his son-in-law. Abdul Jabber, who escaped during the encounter at Kupwara, was his brother-in-law. According to sources, Sattar���s arrest may lead to clues about the funding of terror activities in Kerala.
The signs of Kerala���s links in the LeT module surfaced when religious literature in Malayalam was found from the body of two terrorists killed in Kupwara. Kerala police investigations confirmed that the dead militants were Abdul Faiz from Kannur and Muhammad Yasir, formerly Verghese Joseph of Kochi, who converted to Islam about a year back.
According to the Kerala Police, Faisal from Kochi was a vital link in a network for identifying, recruiting and sending youths from Kerala for terrorist activities outside the state. The police came to know about the key role of Faisal in enrolling potential ultras after the arrest of Abdul Jaleel from Kannur.
The Kerala Anti-Terror Squad had found that the four slain militants had undergone religious indoctrination in Hyderabad. Police sources said Sattar, who had been camping in Hyderabad, might have arranged for training of the recruits.
Zainudeen, known by several aliases including Sattar, was also an accused in the case related to the recovery of pipe bombs from Malappuram in 1993. Since then, he had been absconding. His name also came up in relation to the twin blasts in bus stands in Kozhikode in 2006.
That Sattar, who was picked up from Hyderabad late on Tuesday night, is a prized catch is confirmed by senior intelligence operatives who claim that he figured as high in the IM hierarchy as Riyaz Bhatkal, who the Mumbai police claim is the founder of Indian Mujahideen and the mastermind behind the serial blasts that rocked Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Delhi last year. Sattar had reportedly hosted Bhatkal on at least two occasions.
Sattar, according to intelligence sources, was as active as Bhatkal, the most wanted IM figure, in planning and plotting terror strikes as well as recruiting and motivating youth into the IM terror factory. An expert at making bombs, he put together the integrated circuit devices used in Bangalore and Surat. The ICDs-based bombs in Surat had, however, failed to explode due to a technical fault.
Sattar, a native of Kondotty in Malappuram district of Kerala had been absconding since 1998 and was wanted in a case relating to a plot to assassinate former chief minister E K Nayanar. He also figured prominently in the wanted list of Gujarat, Delhi, Maharashtra and Karnataka police, owing to his alleged role in the blasts there.
The Kerala police was in hot pursuit of Sattar, who has reportedly been living in Hyderabad for the last several years, after the killing of four Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists of Kerala origin in an encounter at Kupwara in J&K exposed a recent terror recruitment from the state.
Sattar, who himself has received training from the Lashkar-e-Toiba, was related to one of the four terrorists killed in J&K, Abdul Raheem, who was his son-in-law. Abdul Jabber, who escaped during the encounter at Kupwara, was his brother-in-law. According to sources, Sattar���s arrest may lead to clues about the funding of terror activities in Kerala.
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The signs of Kerala���s links in the LeT module surfaced when religious literature in Malayalam was found from the body of two terrorists killed in Kupwara. Kerala police investigations confirmed that the dead militants were Abdul Faiz from Kannur and Muhammad Yasir, formerly Verghese Joseph of Kochi, who converted to Islam about a year back.
According to the Kerala Police, Faisal from Kochi was a vital link in a network for identifying, recruiting and sending youths from Kerala for terrorist activities outside the state. The police came to know about the key role of Faisal in enrolling potential ultras after the arrest of Abdul Jaleel from Kannur.
The Kerala Anti-Terror Squad had found that the four slain militants had undergone religious indoctrination in Hyderabad. Police sources said Sattar, who had been camping in Hyderabad, might have arranged for training of the recruits.
Zainudeen, known by several aliases including Sattar, was also an accused in the case related to the recovery of pipe bombs from Malappuram in 1993. Since then, he had been absconding. His name also came up in relation to the twin blasts in bus stands in Kozhikode in 2006.
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