Who is Yasin Bhatkal?

New Delhi, Aug 29: Yasin Bhatkal, the co-founder of the Indian Mujahideen (IM) and the prime accused behind various terror attacks across India has finally been arrested by the intelligence agency National Investigation Agency (NIA) after a long hunt for him.

In a major catch, Bhatkal was arrested from Gorakpur in eastern Uttar Pradesh near the Indo-Nepal border, in an operation carried out by the NIA.

The arrest of the India's one of the most wanted men, came after the joint-operation by the Delhi and Karnataka Special Task Force..

On August 16, another terrorist Abdul Quddus alias Syed Abdul Karim Tunda was arrested by arrested by the Delhi police near the Indo-Nepal border after being on the run in several countries for 19 years.

30-year-old Bhatkal, who hails from Karnataka co-founded the home grown terror outfit Indian Mujahideen (IM) in 2008 along with his brother Riaz Bhatkal and Abdul Subhan Qureshi.

Before forming Indian Mujahideen, he was an activist in the banned Islamic organisation Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).

An engineering graduate from Bhatkal, a coastal town in Karnataka, an "expert bomb-maker" Yasin has conspired various terror attacks in India.

In February this year, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) had announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh each to anyone giving information on Yasin Bhatkal.

In December 2011, Delhi police had also announced a reward of Rs 15 lakh for any information leading to the arrest of Yasin Bhatkal in several terror cases.

A brief chronology of terror attacks carried out by Syed Ahmed Zarar Siddibappa alias Yasin Bhatkal is as follows:

July 13, 2006: Bhatkal played a vital role in planning and executing the 13/7 train blasts in Mumbai.

July 2008: 20 bomb blasts killed 56 persons in eastern Ahmedabad.

September 19, 2010: Jama Masjid attack occurred when two gunmen on a motorcycle fired at a tourist bus near Gate 3 of the Jama Masjid in Old Delhi and injured two Taiwanese tourists.

February 13, 2010: German Bakery blast in Pune that left at least 17 people dead - including five foreigners and 56 others injured.

2010 Bangalore blast: He is the main accused in the blast outside the Chinnaswamy stadium just before a cricket match.

July 13, 2011: Coordinated bomb explosions at Opera House, Zaveri Bazaar and Dadar West in Mumbai that left 27 dead and 130 injured.

September 7, 2011: Blast outside the Delhi High Court in which 12 people were killed.

August 1, 2012: Four low-intensity blasts occurred at Jangli Maharaj Road in Pune, in which one person was injured.

OneIndia News