Mumbai serial blasts: Indian Mujahideen the prime suspect

The investigating agencies, working to find out the perpetrators behind the triple blasts that rocked Mumbai on Wednesday, are prima facie suspecting the involvement of the terror outfit, Indian Mujahideen (IM), which has been instrumental in a series of blasts across the country since 2006.

Investigators suspect that the way in which the blasts have been executed point to the involvement of the terror group, which has earlier used similar modus operandi. The usage of vehicles, IEDs, cars and motorbikes show their involvement. Initial investigations indicate that cell phone alarms were used to detonate the IEDs, a police officer said. The intensity of the blasts indicate the use of RDX, which the group has used in earlier blasts like the German bakery blast in 2010.

The Bhatkal brothers (Riyaz and Iqbal) from Karnataka head the IM group, which claims responsibility by sending emails to various media houses. Intelligence agencies suspect both brothers to be hiding in Bangladesh. At present, more than 20 IM operatives are lodged in various jails in the country awaiting trial.

Did the IB see it coming?
Last week, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) alerted all states that the Jamaat ud Dawa and the IM were planning to send in fresh batches of militants in the country. According to the input, IB agents had intercepted telephonic conversations from within Pakistan occupied Kashmir indicating fresh infiltration plans as the current batch of sleeper cells and operatives were either exposed or arrested. A central intelligence officer based in Delhi said there was a lull in terror activities after the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai. “Now, it is clear they were merely regrouping,” he said.