Chennai, June 5 (BPNS)
The Coimbatore police is on alert following tips from central and state intelligence agencies on certain terror elements regrouping in the city. The police are on the lookout for certain former leaders and cadres of a banned Islamist organization trying to coordinate some people in the district.
It may be noted that Islamist terrorists had conducted a series of bomb blasts in Coimbatore city on 14 February 1998 in which 58 people lost their lives. 12 explosions had taken place in a span of one hour in 11 places and in 12 km radius. 58 people lost their lives and more than 200 were injured seriously.
The blasts were targeted at BJP leader and then Union Home Minister, L.K. Advani who escaped unhurt. The Islamic terror organisation Al- Umma was behind the attack and many leaders of the outfit including its founder leader, SA Basha were imprisoned for life.
However what makes the Intelligence agencies zero in on Coimbatore is the recent car bomb blast in the city on October 23, 2022 in which a 29 year old youth, Jameesha Mubin blew himself up in a car. The incident happened on Deepavali eve and if the bomb had exploded in the market which was hardly 100 meteres away from where it exploded, things would have been different and casualties much higher.This was considered a case of single wolf attack and the Islamic terror operative was planning revenge attack. Seven people including the nephew of SA Basha were arrested by the police and NIA interrogated these people several times.
After the ban of the Islamist organisation , Popular Front of India (PFI) in September 22, one of the key operatives of the organisation, Rauf from Kerala was present in Coimbatore before being apprehended while reaching his residence in Pattambi, Kerala early in the morning.
Sources in the Coimbatore city police told BPNS that the police are keeping vigil on the movement of vehicles into the town and all the checkposts from Kerala’s Palakkad district is monitored and vehicle check conducted.
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