Friday terror: At least six held across Karnataka for suspected links with ISIS

Bengaluru, Jan 22: In a statewide swoop, at least six persons including an engineering student from Mangaluru have been apprehended by security agencies in different parts of Karnataka on terror suspicion.

Besides Mangaluru, the detentions took place in Bengaluru and Tumkur districts, on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday.

Highly placed sources said that that separate teams of National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Anti Terror Squad carried out the operation in different parts of Karnataka simultaneously.

The crackdown comes days after the arrest of a madrasa teacher from Bengaluru on suspicion of terror links, and office of the Consulate General of France 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," Parameshwara told reporters here.

He said among those arrested four were from Bengaluru, one from Tumkuru and one was from Hubballi.

"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."

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