Chennai: More than two months after a car exploded near a temple in Coimbatore in western Tamil Nadu in a suspected terrorist attack, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday arrested two more "terrorist operatives" in connection with the incident. The main suspect Jamesha Mubeen had died in the explosion a day before Deepavali.
According to the NIA, Mubeen, after swearing bayath (allegiance) to ISIS, was planning to carry out a suicide attack and cause extensive damage to the Temple Complex with the intention to strike terror in the community.
On Wednesday Sheikh Hidayathullah and Sanofar Ali, both residents of Coimbatore, were taken into custody. Nine other accused persons were arrested in the case earlier.
The NIA said its probe revealed that the two 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 meetings were led by previously arrested accused Umar Farook and participated by deceased accused Jamesha Mubeen, Mohammed Azharudin , Sheikh Hidayatullah and Sanofar Ali, where they conspired to prepare for and execute terror acts," the agency said adding further investigations are on.
