PTI

Bangalore, Feb 8: Riyazuddin Naser alias Ghouse, one of the suspected militants arrested recently in Karnataka, has reportedly confessed that he was recruited by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and underwent training in Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), to undertake terror activities in parts of the country.

Ghouse, who was arrested on January five at Honnali in Devangere district, told interrogating officials that he was recruited by Shahid Bilal, an LeT leader and Prime suspect in the Mecca Masjid blasts in Hyderbad, highly placed police officials told PTI on Thursday, on the condition of anonymity.

After recruitment in 2007, Ghouse was sent to Muzaffarabad where he underwent training in handling advanced explosives, arms and ammunition, they said.

Ghouse disclosed that he had plans to trigger off blasts in vital installations in parts of Karanataka, Goa and also planned to target director generals of police in Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.

Describing him as “potentially dangerous militant” the officials said, after the training in PoK, Ghouse came back to India via Bangladesh last year. After that he first went to Hyderabad and later visited Gulbarga in Karnataka.

However, he decided to settle down in Hubli, a central part of Karnataka, for planning and executing his subversive activities, as the city was well connected by road, rail and Air, they said.

The city has large Muslim population which he considered as a major factor working in his favour, they said.