Tirupati: After nearly three decades on the run, two of Tamil Nadu’s most wanted terror suspects, Abubacker Siddique and Mohammed Ali were finally arrested on Tuesday by the state’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) from a remote hideout in Annamayya district. Siddique, a trained explosives expert, had been absconding since 1995, while Ali had been evading arrest for 26 years. Both carried a reward of Rs.5 lakh on their heads.

Siddique, originally from Nagore, has been linked to a series of terror attacks that have rocked Tamil Nadu and nearby states since the mid-1990s. Among the earliest and most notorious cases was the 1995 bomb blast at the Hindu Munnani office in Chennai’s Chintadripet area. That same year, he was allegedly responsible for sending a parcel bomb in Nagore, which claimed the life of Hindu activist T Muthukrishnan.

One of the most serious charges against him is his alleged role in the 1999 coordinated bombing attempt that targeted seven different locations. These included the Chennai Police Commissioner’s Office in Egmore, public spaces in Trichy and Coimbatore, and a site in Kerala.

Authorities also believe Siddique attempted to assassinate senior BJP leader LK Advani in 2011 by planting a pipe bomb during his Rath Yatra in Madurai. Additionally, he is accused in the 2012 murder of Dr Arvind Reddy in Vellore and the 2013 bombing near the BJP office in Malleswaram, Bengaluru.

Mohammed Ali, also known by the aliases Yunus and Mansoor, is from Melapalayam in Tirunelveli. He is primarily wanted for his alleged role in the 1999 serial bomb planting case, which spanned locations across Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Like Siddique, Ali had been living under false identities and frequently changed his whereabouts to stay off the grid and avoid arrest.

Siddique is also believed to have mentored several radicalised operatives over the years, including Bilal Malik, ‘Police’ Fakruddin, and Panna Ismail, all of whom are currently in custody in connection with various terror-related cases. Their arrests were made possible through a meticulous intelligence operation conducted by Tamil Nadu ATS in coordination with law enforcement agencies in Andhra Pradesh.

According to a statement issued by Tamil Nadu Police, both Siddique and Ali will be produced before a judicial magistrate for remand. The investigation is still ongoing, with authorities aiming to dismantle the wider network the duo was connected to.