In yet another major breakthrough for security agencies in India, Yasin Bhatkal, a key conspirator in several bomb blasts and cofounder of the banned Indian Mujahideen (IM), and another IM operative Asadullah Akhtar alias Haddi, were arrested from the India-Nepal border in Bihar’s Raxaul town.

Yasin, originally named Mohammad Ahmed Zarar Siddibappa, is on India’s list of 12 most wanted terror suspects. He is involved in Pune’s German Bakery blast and blasts in Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Mumbai.

He and Asadullah were arrested near Nahar Chowk in Raxaul, East Champaran district, about one km from the international border of Nepal. The Bihar Police detained him in Raxaul and the National Investigation Agency made the formal arrest.

Yasin was planning to carry out blasts during the upcoming festival season of Diwali and Dussehra and had come to India to scout for local support to execute his plan.

During his interrogation, Yasin is learnt to have “revealed a lot about Pakistan’s role in several serial blasts in India. He has also provided information about the hideouts of other operatives in India and Kathmandu,” an officer said.