sri lanka blast news kerala Photo Credit: AP, File Image NIA has detained two youths from Kerala in connection with Sri Lanka bomb blasts

Kasaragod: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday detained three youths from Kasaragod in Kerala in connection with Sri Lanka blasts that took place on Easter Sunday. The two youths nabbed by the agency have been identified as Abu Bakar Siddiqui and Ahmed Araffath, who were picked up by the NIA unit in Cochin and were being questioned at the NIA headquarters.

Sources in the investigation agency told Times Now that the trio were detained after receiving information that they were in touch with Zahran Hashim, suspected to be one of the key conspirators behind the bomb blasts that shook the island nation. The two Kerala youths were reportedly influenced by Zahran’s ideology, sources said.

Advertising

Advertising

The suspects were also reportedly in touch with the dreaded terror group ISIS, as per the NIA probe. The NIA officials also recovered DVDs of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik from the suspects, sources said.

The NIA said in a statement, "NIA today carried out searches at three places in Kerala in connection with 2016 ISIS Kasaragod Module case. They are suspected to have links with some of accused in the said case who left India to join terrorist organisation ISIS/ Daish."

NIA officials also raided houses of two suspects in Kasaragod and one in Palakkad and seized certain gadgets including mobile phones and SIM cards. The NIA is expected to question them in detail on Monday.

Loading ...

Meanwhile, police sources confirmed to news agency Reuters on Sunday that the father and two brothers of the suspected mastermind of the Easter Sunday bomb blasts were killed in a gunfight between security forces and terrorists on Friday. 15 people were killed in the gunbattle, including six children and three women after security forces stormed into the safe house of terrorists in the east coast and carried out a raid.

Sources told the news agency that Zainee Hashim, Rilwan Hashim and their father Mohamed Hashim were among the 15 killed during Friday gunfight. The three were reportedly seen in a video widely circulated on social media, calling on their followers to wage war against the non-believers. The trio is related to Zahran Hashim, believed to be the mastermind of the Easter Sunday attacks in which nine terrorists carried out co-ordinated blasts at three churches and three luxury hotels in the island country.

At least 250 people were killed in the deadly attacks and more than 500 people wounded on April 21. Following this, on Friday, Special Task Force and Army troops carried out raids on a suspected terrorist hideout in Kalmunai town which lies 370-km from capital Colombo. During the gunfight, the militants opened fire and later blew themselves up, killing 15 people

The terror group ISIS has claimed responsibility of the Sri Lanka bombings, however, authorities in the country suspect that a local terror group, National Thowheeth Jamaath (NTJ) could be behind the attacks. On Sunday, the ISIS also claimed that it was its terrorists that blew themselves up during the gunfight on Friday.

