Fayaz Kagzi, the Jeddah suicide bomber who ran Indian Mujahideen

DNA reports have suggested that the Jeddah bomber was an Indian. Saudi Arabia has confirmed that the bomber was an Indian who went by the name Fayaz Kagzi.

Indian officials confirmed that they received information about the bomber and said that he was Kagzi. Recently the National Investigation Agency which had Kagzi on its wanted list had told a court that he was dead. On July 4, 2016, a blast took place in Jeddah in which two security officials were injured. Kagzi is wanted in several cases in India and is said to be the mastermind of the Jeddah attack as well.

India has several years back initiated extradition proceedings against Kagzi, who is a resident of Beed in Maharashtra. His name first cropped up during the Aurangabad arms haul case in which Abu Jundal, an accused in the 26/11 case was also involved.

This man who was wanted by the Indian agencies in connection with the Aurangabad arms haul case of 2006 was an important player in the overseas operations of the Indian Mujahideen. The name of Kagzi figures in the interrogation report of Lashkar-e-Tayiba operative Abu Jundal and the various call records attributed to IM operative Yasin Malik also suggest that this is the man that India ought to have in its custody.

Kagzi had been instrumental in handling the Indian Mujahideen from Saudi Arabia. In fact Abu Jundal one of the controllers of the 26/11 attack was sent from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia to assist Kagzi in the operations of the Indian Mujahideen.

The agencies had analysed at least 480 calls made by Indian Mujahideen boss Yasin Bhatkal and had found that most of them were made to Kagzi. Kagzi and his associates were seen to be controlling the IM operations. Apart from arranging funds for their operations, Yasin had also discussed recruitments and also providing a safe hideout for some of the operatives who were on the radar of the Indian agencies.

Kagzi played a very important role in the operations of the IM. He played mentor to Jundal and had also trained Mirza Himayat who is an accused in the German Bakery blasts case. Kagzi who was based in Saudi Arabia had a control over two other bases which were set up for the IM.