Indian police have arrested a suspected Muslim militant in connection with a shooting last week during an international conference in the city of Bangalore. Two more arrests have been made in a neighboring state. Southern Indian cities have been on high alert in the wake of the Bangalore attack.
Bangalore police announced the arrest of Abdul Rahman on Tuesday. It was six days after a man opened automatic fire at a major science institute in Bangalore, India's leading technology center, killing a former professor and wounding four others.
The 35-year-old Mr. Rahman was detained in the neighboring state of Andhra Pradesh on Sunday. Police say he is a key operative in southern India of the Laskhar-e-Taiba, a frontline Pakistan-based Islamic group fighting Indian rule in Kashmir. The group is also known by the initials LET.
Ajai Kumar Singh called the arrest a significant breakthrough, and hoped it would stall future terrorist attacks.
"Since he is known to have very strong LET connections, and if they were planning something, I am sure his arrest will deter them from doing anything," he said.
Two more persons suspected of planning attacks on software companies were arrested Monday in another of India's technology centers, the city of Hybderabad in Andhra Pradesh.
Police say the two men were carrying explosives, and were part of a "terror network planning to carry out bombings and suicide attacks."
They were taken into custody a day before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurated a national science conference in that city.
Security has been tightened in southern Indian states, especially those home to technology companies, since last week's Bangalore attack. Authorities called that a terrorist act meant to create fear in a city that is a symbol of India's progress.
Most terror attacks blamed on Islamic militant groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba have been confined to North India. But intelligence agencies have recently warned that these groups plan to target Bangalore, which is home to hundreds of domestic and international information technology companies.
