Every time terror strikes India, the spotlight turns to Indian Mujahideen (IM).
Intelligence agencies swing into scrutinising the nature of the blast, often concluding that the blasts have IM signature.
After the twin blasts in Hyderabad the investigating agencies are once again looking at similarities with the blasts carried out by IM in the past. Also Read: All you need to know about IM
While the investigators have not fixed the responsibility yet, sources say this attack too bears the terror outfit's imprint.
The fact that IM members who were arrested for last year's Pune blast had done a recce of Dilsukhnagar area in Hyderabad where the blasts took place raises the suspicion that it could be IM.
The terror group has been held responsible for all the deadly attacks in major Indian cities since 2006. Delhi, Jaipur, Pune, Ahmedabad and Mumbai are some of the cities that have been targets of the so-called home-grown terror.
But why is it that IM is suspected of carrying out every blast despite anti-terror squads of various states having arrested several IM members in the last four years? It has been claimed time and again that various modules of the group have been busted. Yet, after every attack the needle of suspicion is on a "new module with new recruits".
This is where our intelligence agencies have lost the battle against terror. "Most of the arrests made are of mere foot soldiers.The brains behind the planning and conspiracy are on the run," an intelligence official said.
Despite getting success in patches, counter terror agencies are unable to crack the IM code.
Intelligence officials said the IM top leadership- Iqbal Shahbandari and Riyaz Shahbandari - better known as the Bhatkal brothers in terror circles along with Amir Raza Khan and other prominent members of the group are in Pakistan and Dubai.
But there is a third Bhatkal on the terror radar who is said to be in India. Yasin Bhatkal, whose real name is Zarar Siddibappa and uses aliases like Dr Imran and Shahrukh, narrowly escaped agencies on two occasions and thereafter remains untraceable. He was arrested in West Bengal in a fake currency case in 2009 but since there was no information with the state police on him, he managed to get bail and then escaped.
Sources admit Bhatkal's escape from Bengal despite being in custody was a major goof up. "His arrest was imminent. It could have broken the backbone of the entire outfit," an intelligence official said.
Imran is said to be the link between IM leadership in Pakistan and its modules in India. He has played a vital role in almost all terror strikes IM has carried out.
IM's unique modus operandi has made it impossible for agencies to completely wipe out the group. IM has a pan India presence with workforce coming from UP, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and even Kerala.
According to agencies, people from small Muslim dominated towns were easy targets for the ones given the responsibility to recruit. Now this is changing and top leadership is also looking for recruits in Dubai and the Gulf.
The disturbing trend of the group striking back after a crackdown continues. The last time also a major crackdown that resulted in countrywide arrests could not stop the Pune blast in August 2012.
Intelligence agencies swing into scrutinising the nature of the blast, often concluding that the blasts have IM signature.
After the twin blasts in Hyderabad the investigating agencies are once again looking at similarities with the blasts carried out by IM in the past. Also Read: All you need to know about IM
The fact that IM members who were arrested for last year's Pune blast had done a recce of Dilsukhnagar area in Hyderabad where the blasts took place raises the suspicion that it could be IM.
The terror group has been held responsible for all the deadly attacks in major Indian cities since 2006. Delhi, Jaipur, Pune, Ahmedabad and Mumbai are some of the cities that have been targets of the so-called home-grown terror.
But why is it that IM is suspected of carrying out every blast despite anti-terror squads of various states having arrested several IM members in the last four years? It has been claimed time and again that various modules of the group have been busted. Yet, after every attack the needle of suspicion is on a "new module with new recruits".
This is where our intelligence agencies have lost the battle against terror. "Most of the arrests made are of mere foot soldiers.The brains behind the planning and conspiracy are on the run," an intelligence official said.
Despite getting success in patches, counter terror agencies are unable to crack the IM code.
Intelligence officials said the IM top leadership- Iqbal Shahbandari and Riyaz Shahbandari - better known as the Bhatkal brothers in terror circles along with Amir Raza Khan and other prominent members of the group are in Pakistan and Dubai.
But there is a third Bhatkal on the terror radar who is said to be in India. Yasin Bhatkal, whose real name is Zarar Siddibappa and uses aliases like Dr Imran and Shahrukh, narrowly escaped agencies on two occasions and thereafter remains untraceable. He was arrested in West Bengal in a fake currency case in 2009 but since there was no information with the state police on him, he managed to get bail and then escaped.
Sources admit Bhatkal's escape from Bengal despite being in custody was a major goof up. "His arrest was imminent. It could have broken the backbone of the entire outfit," an intelligence official said.
Imran is said to be the link between IM leadership in Pakistan and its modules in India. He has played a vital role in almost all terror strikes IM has carried out.
IM's unique modus operandi has made it impossible for agencies to completely wipe out the group. IM has a pan India presence with workforce coming from UP, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and even Kerala.
According to agencies, people from small Muslim dominated towns were easy targets for the ones given the responsibility to recruit. Now this is changing and top leadership is also looking for recruits in Dubai and the Gulf.
The disturbing trend of the group striking back after a crackdown continues. The last time also a major crackdown that resulted in countrywide arrests could not stop the Pune blast in August 2012.
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