Nazeer or Sajir: Who’s the real terror chief?

The recently formed
anti-terror squad of the State police had, after about ten arrests of
operatives, decided that Nazeer of Neerchal, Kannur was the head of all LeT
operations in the State. The feeling of the police then was that Nazeer, yet to
fall into police net, was the top recruiter of young men into the
network.

It had also believed that Nazeer himself, supported by Ibrahim
Moulvi of Vellamunda, Wayanad, was behind the recruitment of the five terrorists
who had tried to sneak into Pakistan through Kashmir in early October. Four of
them were killed by the security forces in encounters and one, Adbul Jabbar of
Malappuram, had escaped with injuries. He was later arrested from
Hyderabad.

But, the police had got information to believe that Sajir
alias Ayub (30) of Kannur City, could be kingpin of all terror operations being
held in the State for Lashkar-e-Tayyeba and other outfits based outside Kerala.
He, an accused in the case regarding conspiracy in the murder attempt on former
chief minister EK Nayanar, was said to be an expert at controlling terror
operations from underground. They, however, had admitted that they had no clue
as to where Sajir was at present.

But now the police have got clues to
believe that Nazeer is the LeT “captain” of terror operations in the State.
Officials reiterated that it was Nazeer was the operative who had reached the
four Keralite terrorists killed on the border to Hyderabad and then to Kashmir.
Though they were no clear information as to where Nazeer was, the police were
keeping perpetual watch on four places which could be his
hideouts.

Meanwhile, the police have got clear indications showing
extremist links of Shanij (27) of Paneri, Kannur, who was arrested last week.
Though a final report on the examination of the computer and other equipments
confiscated during a raid on his house was yet to come, sources said Shanij had
close connections with terrorists.

Shanij was arrested last Saturday for
making fake identification papers for Muhammad Faiz, Muhammad Fayaz, Abdul
Jaleel and Muhammad Yasin alias Varghese Joseph, who were killed by security
forces in Kashmir in early October. He had made the fake identity cards for them
for going to Hyderabad for training in subversive acts.

At the same time,
the police continued the hunt for the top three terror operatives, Sajir, Nazeer
and Moulvi.

Officials said that Sajir’s international relations were far
more extensive than all the eleven operatives arrested and the two other
absconding extremists. An accused in the case of the Coimbatore serial blasts,
Sajir was said to have got special training from LeT at several camps including
those in Pakistan.

The police’s finding is that Sajir, husband of Ibrahim
Moulvi’s niece, has got great oratorical skills which he used to use for luring
young men into the cause of Jihad.