NIA conducts searches at several locations in Coimbatore, Trichy

TRICHY: Officials of the National Investigation Agency are conducting searches at several locations in Tamil Nadu in connection with the Coimbatore car blast case in 2022. Officials said that raids are being conducted at several locations in Coimbatore and Tiruchirappalli.

More details on the NIA raids are awaited. The Coimbatore car bomb blast took place on October 23, 2022, in front of an ancient temple, Arulmigu Kottai Sangameshwarar Thirukovil, at Eswaran Kovil Street, Ukkadam, Coimbatore.

In this incident, a suicide bomber was killed when his vehicle-borne improvised explosive device exploded. The vehicle carrying the IED was being driven by the deceased accused, Jameesha Mubeen, with whom both Tahanaseer and Mohammad Thoufeeq, two other accused, were closely associated, as per the NIA. This case was initially registered by the Ukkadam Police Station in Coimbatore city and subsequently handed over to the NIA. Investigations uncovered that the deceased accused, Jameesha Mubeen, was deeply inspired and motivated by the radical ISIS ideology. Jamesha, prior to carrying the terror attack, had sworn allegiance by giving 'bayath' to Abu-Al-Hasan Al Hashmi Al Qureshi, the self-proclaimed Caliphate of the ISIS at the time, NIA had said in a statement. 15 people have been arrested in the blast case so far, as per the agency.