‘”Just A Cylinder Blast”, They Said’: Annamalai Slams DMK As NIA Links 2022 Coimbatore Bomb Blast To ISIS Recruitment

Former Tamil Nadu BJP chief K. Annamalai has sharply criticized the DMK and its allies for downplaying the 2022 Coimbatore car bomb blast, which involved a suicide attack carried out by Jamesha Mubeen using a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) near the Sangameswarar Temple. Annamalai accused the ruling coalition of attempting to label the incident as a “cylinder blast“ in an effort to appease minority communities, particularly Muslims.

On 18 June 2025, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested four more individuals in connection with the ISIS-linked radicalisation and recruitment network tied to the Coimbatore-based Kovai Arabic College. These arrests bring the total number of individuals apprehended in the case to eight. The case stems from the investigation into the Coimbatore car bombing incident.

Reacting to the latest developments, Annamalai posted on X, stating, ““Just a cylinder blast”, they said. It turns out it was a full-blown ISIS-linked radicalisation and recruitment network operating under the nose of the DMK Govt, using classrooms as terror factories. 4 more were arrested yesterday, 8 in total, all linked to the Coimbatore Suicide Bombing in October 2022. While the NIA is working tirelessly to dismantle these terror cells, the DMK continues to downplay threats, brushing off suicide bombing incidents as mere accidents. When appeasement replaces accountability, national security pays the price. TN deserves better.”

K. Annamalai also attached NIA’s press release which read, “NIA Press Release 4 MORE ACCUSED ARRESTED BY NIA IN TN RADICALISATION AND RECRUITMENT CASE INVOLVING KOVAI ARABIC COLLEGE New Delhi, 18th June 2025 The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested four more accused in the Tamil Nadu Radicalisation and Recruitment case, an off-shoot case of Coimbatore car bomb blast case, taking the total arrests to eight in this case so far. The accused persons identified as Ahmed Ali, Jawahar Sathik, Raja Abdullah @ MAC Raja, and Sheik Dawood the four accused had been radicalized by Jameel Basha, the founder of Madras Arabic College, who, along with his associates, was involved in recruiting gullible youth and subtly infused Salafi-Jihadi ideology to them in the guise of imparting Arabic language classes in Tamil Nadu. NIA had earlier arrested and Charge sheeted Jameel Basha and his associates Irshath, Syed Abdur Rahman and Mohammed Hussain, who were using the class-rooms and social platform to carry out their anti-national radicalization and recruitment activities. NIA investigations have revealed that the accused had promoted Khilafat ideology and martyrdom through jihad, advocating violence and armed struggle to establish an Islamic state after removing the democratically elected government. The radicalization and recruitment activities had led to the Coimbatore car bomb blast in October 2022, in which the suicide bomber Jamesha Mubeen carried out a Vehicle Borne IED attack in front of an ancient temple in Coimbatore NIA is continuing with its investigation in the case RC.No.01/2023/NIA/CHE (TN ISIS Radicalization and Recruitment Case), as part of its efforts to check radical terror activities against the nation.”

Subscribe to our channels on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.