Terrorist who blew himself up in Jeddah was an NRI, confirms Saudi Arabia

coastaldigest.com web desk
May 1, 2018

Newsroom, May 1: The bomber who blew himself up outside the US Consulate in Jeddah, a coastal city of Saudi Arabia two years ago was a non-resident Indian, confirmed the authorities of the Kingdom on the basis of DNA tests.

The accused who killed himself in bid to cause harm to others has been identified as Fayaz Kagzi, an Indian national and alleged operative of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, a senior security official said.

The Jeddah blast on July 4, 2016, which injured two security officers, was the first of three attacks to hit the kingdom that day. The other two were also in the form of blasts near a Shia mosque in Qatif and outside the Masjid-i-Nabvi in Medina.

The National Investigation Agency informed the Patiala house court in Delhi that the terror mastermind was dead. Sources said that NIA believes Kagzi, who hails from Beed in Maharashtra, was the 'mastermind', 'financier' of the 2010 German bakery blast and 2012 JM Road bombing. The 34-year-old was also wanted in the Aurangabad arms haul case and is suspected of teaching Hindi to 26/11 terrorists, including Ajmal Kasab.

Saudi authorities had first released the picture of the Jeddah bomber and called him Abdullah Qalzar Khan, a Pakistani national. Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) officers identified the man in the picture as Fayaz Kagzi and subsequently, with the help of NIA, shared their suspicion with Jeddah.

Kagzi fled to Pakistan via Bangladesh in 2006 and shifted his base to Saudi Arabia in 2009 to oversee the recruitment of Indian nationals to LeT. Sources say that it is possible that he took on a new name of Abdullah Qalzar Khan while in Pakistan.

Abu Jundal, a convict in the Aurangabad arms haul case, had told investigators that he met Kagzi in Saudi Arabia. Jundal was extradited to India in 2012 and is currently facing trial in conspiracy against India cases.

Agencies believe after Jundal's extradition, Kagzi switched alliance to ISIS and became part of the Jeddah suicide bombing conspiracy.

India and Saudi Arabia have in recent times cooperated in terrorism-related cases. India could arrest Lashkar's Abdul Karim Tunda only after Saudi authorities cooperated.

Saudi Arabian ambassador to India, Dr Saud bin Mohammed Al Sati, had said last week that the kingdom has a very strong cooperation with India on countering terrorism, extremism and terror financing.

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Roshan Deen
 - 
Wednesday, 2 May 2018

Suicide bomber who blew himself up near the United States consulate in Jeddah early Monday has been identified as a Pakistani citizen, the Saudi interior ministry said on Tuesday.
The ministry identified the man as 35-year-old Abdullah Gulzar Khan, who worked as a driver in the kingdom.
Khan had been living with his wife and her parents in Jeddah for 12 years, the interior ministry said in a tweet. July 05, 2016
https://www.dawn.com/news/1269220

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News Network
May 3,2020

Bengaluru, May 3: Erection of barricades and drawing up of boxes or circles aimed at maintaining social distancing were seen in front of liquor shops in different parts of Karnataka on Sunday, a day ahead of their reopening after a gap of over 40-days, due to the lockdown.

Karnataka Excise Commissioner on Saturday had ordered that only CL-2 (retail shops) and CL-11C (state-run retail shops like Mysore Sales International Limited) would open from May 4.

It had permitted liquor sale liquor between 9 am and 7 pm only in areas that are outside COVID-19 containment zones.

Reports of barricades being erected to ensure that people stand in line and drawing of boxes or circles in front of shops to maintain social distancing in front of retail and MSIL shops have emerged from across the state, including the state capital.

Also reports about shop keepers doing special poojas outside liquor shops in Kolar and some even illuminating their outlets with lights from outside have surfaced from other parts of the state.

Meanwhile, officials were engaged in checking stocks ahead of the shops opening on Monday morning.

"We are making all preparations to ensure that government rules are followed. We also seek the cooperation of the people and police," the manager of a shop said.

Another said there may be a rush initially, after which things may get back to normal.

"We expect things to go on smoothly," he added.

Calling for number of customers to be limited to five at a time while ensuring that they maintain social distancing of not less than six feet distance, the order states that customers and the staff will have to wear masks and sanitizers should be used at the shops.

Only stand alone CL-2 and CL-11C shops are allowed to commence liquor sale and not those at malls and super markets, it said.

Officials in Bengaluru said liquor sale is prohibited in 26 containment zones in the city, while in other places rules that have been prescribed need to be followed.

In case of any violation, strict action would be taken, including imposing of penalty, they said.

There was pressure on the government to kick start economic activities, including allowing sale of liquor, to boost the state's finances as excise is the key area which generates revenue.

State Excise Minister H Nagesh had recently pegged the losses at Rs 60 crore per day because of closure of liquor shops, due to the lockdown.

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News Network
February 1,2020

Mysuru, Feb 1: The local police have arrested a man stabbed his irresponsible wife after she apparently hurt him with her naughty TikTok videos in Periyapatna of Mysuru district.

According to police, Srinivas stabbed his wife Savitha for TikTok videos where the latter featured with a different man.

The couple was not in good terms and was staying separately since few years. Savitha was residing in Mysuru and she used to send TikTok videos posing with another man to Srinivas.

The couple had two children, who reside with Srinivas, who was upset with the videos and invited Savitha to the birthday party of one of their children at Periyapatna.

He attacked her with a knife soon after she reached the function venue, Police said.

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News Network
January 29,2020

Mangaluru, Jan 29: The police have registered a suo motu case against some of the youths who raised life threat slogans against former Karnataka Minister and Congress MLA UT Khader during the pro-Citizenship Amendment Act rally here on January 27.

A video of the incident that went viral on social media showed the youths belonging to BJP and other saffron outfits raising slogans that they will “cut off his limbs and chop off his head if necessary” during the rally organised by the BJP in support of the Citizenship Amendment Act on Monday.

Though Mr Khader did not file a complaint, the Congress party had urged the police to register a suo motu case.

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