The National Investigating Agency (NIA) has conducted raids at over 60 locations across three states in connection with the 2022 Coimbatore car blast case. Sources said the massive crackdown was aimed at suspects with ISIS links.
Nearly five dozen locations, including Kodungaiyur in Tamil Nadu and Mannadi in Kerala, were raided simultaneously, reported ANI. The raids are in connection with the last year’s blasts in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore and Karnataka’s Mangaluru which occurred on October 23, 2022, and November 19, 2022, respectively.
Four days after the Coimbatore blast, the NIA began a probe, which revealed that the accused, who died in the blast, had sworn allegiance to ISIS. According to NIA, the accused Jamesha Mubeen was planning to carry out a suicide attack and cause extensive damage to the Kottai Eswaran Temple of Coimbatore district to strike terror in the community.
Eleven accused persons were arrested by the anti-terror agency. “Investigations have revealed that the accused persons had entered into a criminal conspiracy in the interior of forested regions of Asanoor and Kadambur areas of Sathyamangalam forest, Erode district, in February, 2022,” the NIA stated.
