Making five arrests since last night, the Mumbai Police today announced they had uncovered the backbone of a terror module responsible for a majority of terror attacks since 2005.

Investigators claimed the men were part of an Indian Mujahideen group which was involved in the serial blasts in New Delhi, Ahmedabad and Bangalore, the 7/11 Mumbai train bombings, the blasts on Shramjeevi Express, at the Sankatmochan temple and railway station in Varanasi, at Lumbini Park and Gokul Chaat Bhandar in Hyderabad, in a Lucknow court and at Gorakhpur. “Practically all” blasts since 2005, according to investigators.

Those arrested have been identified as Afzal Mutalib Usmani (32), Mohammed Sadiq Israr Sheikh (32), Mohammed Arif Sheikh (31), Mohammed Zakir Sheikh (28) and Sheikh Mohammed Ansar (31). While Sadiq is a programme engineer, Ansar is a computer engineer. It is alleged that Arif fixed the electronic circuits in the bombs used in the serial blasts. All with roots in Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh, they have been remanded in police custody until October 7.

Sadiq was arrested from Nehru Nagar, Arif from Kurla, Ansar from Chembur, all three central suburbs in Mumbai. Zakir was arrested from Bhiwandi while Afzal was arrested from Bel Tara in Mau district of UP.

According to investigators, Mohammed Sadiq Israr Sheikh controlled the group. Sadiq is believed to have planned all the group’s attacks along with Atif, one of the two killed in the New Delhi encounter on September 19. A third name of a founder member of the Indian Mujahideen was also announced: Roshan Khan, who is currently on the run.

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