Articles tagged with “ntjnetwork”

Former MP Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, alias Pillayan, revealed during CID interrogation that Zahran Hashim, the Easter Sunday attack mastermind, trained 15 women for suicide missions. Reports indicate these women attended extremist sessions in Kattankudy in December 2018, pledging allegiance through 'Bayat' oaths. Five of the women died in a Sainthamaruthu suicide bombing on April 26, 2019, while others were detained by the Terrorism Investigation Division. The group included Zahran's mother, sister, and wives of key suspects linked to the National Thowheed Jamaath network. Pillayan's questioning followed allegations by his former spokesman, Azad Maulana, who claimed Pillayan knew of meetings between Zahran and military intelligence before the attacks. A documentary highlighted these alleged meetings, suggesting possible political motives behind the coordination. The disclosures have renewed scrutiny over Zahran's network and potential lapses by authorities ahead of the 2019 bombings, which killed over 250 people. Investigations continue into the full extent of the plot and possible institutional failures.