Chennai, Mar 5 (IANS): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday was conducting raids at two places in Tamil Nadu in connection with its probe in the Bengaluru cafe blast case, said sources.

The raids were being conducted in Chennai and Cuddalore. NIA sources told IANS that the raids began in the morning in several other places in the country, including Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

The NIA is conducting investigation following information that the Lashkar-e-Taiba south Indian commander Thadiyantavida Naseer had trained some youths in Bengaluru central jail and many of them are now out of prison.

The investigation of the Rameswaram Cafe blast, according to NIA sources, is focused on these youths and some of them are linked to Cuddalore and Chennai in Tamil Nadu.

On March 1, an explosion occurred in the Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru's IT hub Whitefield. At least ten people were injured in the blast.

In October 2022 on the eve of Diwali, a 29-year-old youth Jameesha Mubin exploded himself near the Sangameswara temple in Ukkadam, Coimbatore. As the car blast took place before the set timing, the only casualty was the suicide bomber. NIA had taken over the investigation and arrested several people, including Mohammed Talka who is the nephew of the founder of Al Umma, S.A. Basha.

Basha was the prime accused in the Coimbatore bomb blast of 1998 in which 58 people were killed.