Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, Nov 22: The cooker bomb blast that occurred in an auto rickshaw at Naguri in the city has created suspicion that terrorists are using coastal Karnataka as the epicentre of their extremist acts.

Arrest of two people by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) recently from Ullal, who have connections with ISIS, Spot inspection of Navoor of Bantwal where experimental bomb explosions were carried out by Maaz Muneer have given clue in this direction.

Terrorists had attempted to make Mangaluru as the bomb manufacturing unit eight years ago. This was foiled by an NIA operation. Infamous terrorists Yasin Bhatkal and Asadullah Akhtar were residing on rent in a private residential apartment at Attavar in the city for six months in 2013. They were manufacturing bombs and supplying them. It was unearthed during NIA investigation that the bombs were supplied for Mangaluru to carry out twin blast at Hyderabad and other places in the country.

Asadullah also confessed that they were indeed manufacturing bomb in Mangaluru. He also informed that Riyaz Bhatkal used to help them in preparing explosives. The NIA had brought both to Mangaluru in September 2013 for spot inspection and inquiry.

During spot inspection, sleuths of NIA found 50 digital watches, wires for connecting to bombs, some cell phones, three electrical detonators, 125 gram ammonium nitrate gel, fuel and book containing bomb circuit were found in the Attavar apartment. Investigations officers said that Mangaluru was the bomb laboratory of the terrorists.

Asadullah had transported the explosives from Mangaluru to Hyderabad and carried out the bombings there. Asadullah used to work with Tahseen Akhtar alias Monu alias Hasan (Bihari) and Waqas alias Ahmed (Pakistan resident). The trio did the work of connecting the circuits. Monu and Waqas were involved in the 2011 Mumbai and 2013 Hyderabad blasts.