NIA Arrests 29-Year Old Alleged To Be Planning Suicide Attacks In Kerala; Avidly Followed Zakir Naik’s Videos

National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday (29 April) arrested a resident of Palakkad in Kerala for allegedly concocting a suicide attack in the state, reports The Hindu.

Riyas Aboobacker, a 29-year-old devoutly followed the videos and speeches of infamous Zakir Naik and also the mastermind of the Sri Lankan Easter Sunday bombings, Zahran Hashim.

He was arrested by the NIA as a part of the agency's probe into the 'Kasargod ISIS case' filed in July 2016 after 15 young men from the district had disappeared and later joined the Islamic State, 14 in Afghanistan and one in Syria.

According to an NIA statement, Aboobacker had been in online contact with the absconding Abdul Rashid Abdulla, alias Abu Isa for a long time and also followed his audio clips including the one which he had circulated on the social media platforms instigating terror attacks in India.

He had also been in touch with Abdul Khayoom, alias Abu Khalid who has been accused in the 'Valapattanam ISIS case.’

Based on inputs received about a group of four people who had been in touch with some of the accused in ISIS related cases, NIA carried out search operations at three spots, during which Aboobacker was apprehended and arrested. The search activity was carried out in Kasargod and Palakkad districts of Kerala.