Bengaluru: The National Investigation Agency on Friday arrested six Islamic State suspects from Karnataka. Four of the suspects hail from Bengaluru, while the other two hail from Tumakuru and Mangaluru.
The arrests follow the Delhi police operation a fortnight ago in which two al- Qaeda suspects Maulana Anzar and Shah Qasmi were arrested. The office of the Consulate General of France had also received a threat letter against French President Francois Hollande's proposed visit to India on the occasion of the Republic Day.
"I have been informed that NIA and State Police have arrested six suspected terrorists in the state. Interrogation and gathering of information from them is still going on," Home Minister G Parameshwara told reporters.
"This is what I have been told. I am yet to get details on this, after getting information I will share what can be shared," the Minister said.
Asked whether the state police were aware that arrests would be made, Parameshwara said NIA in coordination with the state police conduct such operations.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said separately, "Arrest will be made by NIA, they won't inform or discuss with us."
Meanwhile, Bengaluru Police Commissioner N S Megharik said, "We were kept in the loop by the NIA (about the arrests in Bengaluru). It is not a joint operation."
NIA sources told Deccan Chronicle that the six suspects are members of a frontal organisation, which owes allegiance to ISIS.
