NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency on Wednesday conducted raids at seven locations in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore in connection with an Islamic State ( ISIS ) module case.

The raids were conducted after the investigating agency filed a fresh case in connection with an ISIS module, news agency ANI reported.

During the probe, the agency found that the leader of ISIS module was friends with Zahran Hashim ( Sri Lankan blast alleged mastermind) on Facebook.

Searches are being held in Anbu Nagar, Podanur, and Kuniyamuthur areas of the city, along with other places. Raids, which began at 7 AM today, are currently underway.

The searches were a continuation of those conducted here and in Kerala in connection with an ISIS terror module.

However, details about seizure of documents or devices were not available immediately.

In April this year, the NIA had arrested Riyas Aboobacker in connection with the terror module case. According to the investigating agency, 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, Zahran Hashim, till he was arrested. It has been said that he was preparing himself mentally to become a suicide bomber.

The raids were conducted months after nine suicide bombers, including a woman, carried out a series of blasts in Sri Lanka in which 253 people were killed.

The IS had claimed responsibility for the serial bombings in Sri Lanka and around nine suicide bombers were involved in the attack.

The Sri Lankan government has said that local terror group National Towheeth Jamaat (NTJ) carried out the attacks with support from the IS.

Soon after the April 21 attack in Sri Lanka that left nearly 250 dead, India stepped up security in the southern states.

A two-member team of the NIA visited Sri Lanka to hold discussions with authorities about a probe in the Easter Sunday bombings over claims that some terrorists, owning allegiance to ISIS, had travelled to India, including Kashmir.

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In Video: ISIS module case: NIA raids 7 locations in Coimbatore