Shillong, July 20: After the arrest of five suspected terrorists in Bengaluru, authorities have discovered that the mastermind behind the plot, Mohammad Junaid, was operating from Afghanistan and had connections with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), according to sources.
Junaid, a sheep trader from Bengaluru, was in direct contact with LeT terrorists and had crossed the Indian borders in 2021 to operate near the Afghan borders, sending instructions to his associates in Bengaluru.
As per IANS, the investigation has also revealed that Nasir, a LeT terror suspect in the Bengaluru serial bomb blast case, was in touch with Junaid.
Given the seriousness of the case, the Karnataka Police is considering handing it over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Junaid’s transformation into a ‘jihadi’ appears to have roots in a past incident where he was assaulted and kidnapped over financial matters. After being released from jail, he was brainwashed and turned towards terrorism.
The Bengaluru Central City Crime Branch (CCB) is actively gathering more information about Junaid, and it is believed that the group could have carried out deadly attacks in Bengaluru if the arrests had not been made.
