ISIS operative plotted Sri Lanka styled bombings in Kerala

New Delhi, Apr 30: Investigations by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) have shown that the Islamic State operative arrested in Kerala was inspired by the suicide bomber in Sri Lanka.

The NIA arrested Riyas Aboobacker in connection with the Kerala Islamic State case. During his interrogation, he revealed that he was planning suicide strikes in Kerala. He said that he was inspired by the mastermind of the Sri Lanka terror attack, Zaharan Hashim.

The NIA said that during interrogation, he has disclosed that he has been in online contact with absconding accused Abdul Rashid Abdulla alias Abu Isa for a long time and has been following his audio clips including the clip which he had circulated on social media platform instigating others to carryout terror attacks in India.

He revealed that he was also having online chat with Abdul Khayoom @ Abu Khalid (Accused in Valapattanam ISIS Case)who was believed to be in Syria. He has further disclosed that he has been following speeches/videos of Zahran Hashim of Sri Lanka for more than a year and has also followed the speeches of Zakir Naik. He admitted that he wanted to carry out a suicide attack in Kerala.

NIA had earlier received inputs that a group of four persons has been in contact with some of the accused like Abdul Rashid, Ashfaq Majeed, Abdul Khayoom etc who had already migrated to Afghanistan and Syria.

After verification, NIA carried out searches at three places (two in Kasaragod and one in Palakkad District) yesterday. Three group members have been interrogated for their ISIS links and their plans.