Commendable catch for India
30 Aug 2013 10:15 PM GMT
The arrest of Yasin Bhatkal, the leader of the terror group Indian Mujahideen, near Indo-Nepal border on Wednesday night is a welcome development and a big step ahead for counterterrorism in the country. Bhatkal, 30, who was caught in north Bihar, after the Intelligence Bureau (IB) tracked his movements for six months, has been behind several attacks carried out on Indian soil since 2007. Along with his brothers Riyaz and Iqbal, Bhatkal, hailing from coastal Karnataka and an expert bombmaker and a master of disguises, had eluded both the National Investigation agency (NIA) and the IB.Â
The terrorist mastermind, who had orchestrated almost all the attacks, including the deadly Hyderabad blasts in February this year, and the fatal German Bakery bombings in Pune in February 2010. Barely two months after the notorious Pune attacks, Bhatkal executed the Bangalore stadium bombings that injured 15 people. Moreover, Bhatkal was also behind the July 2011 Mumbai bomb blasts in which 27 were killed and 130 wounded, the September 2008 Delhi bombings that killed over 30 and injured 100s, among other attacks in Indian territory.
Along with the top Lashkar-e-Toiba commander Abdul Karim tunda, also a bombmaker and a jihadi recruiter, the arrest of Yasin Bhatkal is a feather on the cap of the Indian intelligence and counterterrorism forces. The founder of Indian Mujahideen has already dealt a hard blow to India’s national security and has allured the disgruntled youth from poorer sections of Muslim community to take up arms and wage war against the nation. Bhatkal, along with others, has helped breed terror camps and the banned organisation has left the country scarred on several occasions. It is a great development, since the IM’s link with the 2008 Mumbai attacks and David Coleman Headley has also been unearthed. Nabbing the key conspirator in dastardly terrorist attacks in almost eight Indian cities is certainly a step in the right direction.      Â
The terrorist mastermind, who had orchestrated almost all the attacks, including the deadly Hyderabad blasts in February this year, and the fatal German Bakery bombings in Pune in February 2010. Barely two months after the notorious Pune attacks, Bhatkal executed the Bangalore stadium bombings that injured 15 people. Moreover, Bhatkal was also behind the July 2011 Mumbai bomb blasts in which 27 were killed and 130 wounded, the September 2008 Delhi bombings that killed over 30 and injured 100s, among other attacks in Indian territory.
Along with the top Lashkar-e-Toiba commander Abdul Karim tunda, also a bombmaker and a jihadi recruiter, the arrest of Yasin Bhatkal is a feather on the cap of the Indian intelligence and counterterrorism forces. The founder of Indian Mujahideen has already dealt a hard blow to India’s national security and has allured the disgruntled youth from poorer sections of Muslim community to take up arms and wage war against the nation. Bhatkal, along with others, has helped breed terror camps and the banned organisation has left the country scarred on several occasions. It is a great development, since the IM’s link with the 2008 Mumbai attacks and David Coleman Headley has also been unearthed. Nabbing the key conspirator in dastardly terrorist attacks in almost eight Indian cities is certainly a step in the right direction.      Â
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