MUMBAI: The name of Azim Chima has emerged as a common link between many of the arrests and detentions that have followed Terror Tuesday. Officials say Chima, whom they suspect of having played a significant role in the serial blasts of 11 July, was also responsible for training the bombers for 28 days before they were "prepared" for their mission. Chima, a key commander of the Lashkar-e-Taiba and in charge of the agency's anti-India operations, is based in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir and runs a militant-training centre in Bhawalpur. Officials, who have been tracking Chima's terror career, say he is known for imparting various types of training depending on the module to which an operative is attached. If a trainee, for instance, is attached to a module involved in making bombs, he is told about various improvised explosive devices, the ingredients used in making them, their availability in the market (the ammonium nitrate and fuel oil used in the 11/7 blasts were easily available in the market) and given real-time demonstration on how a plastic explosive is detonated. Chima, officials say, also gives training on how to operate rocket launchers, Stinger missiles, AK-56 assault rifles and throw hand grenades. "He is a key planner in the Lashkar camp and trains people on how to strategise. He also trains the operatives on how to take advantage of weaknesses in the internal security system," a senior officer said.
Chima communicates with militants across the border in Kashmir on a regular basis. The Intelligence Bureau has nabbed a few terrorists in the recent past by keeping tabs on these conversations. Officials say Chima also arranges for funds for LeT operations; he sends this through the hawala network. In the recent past, Chima has turned his attention to directing LeT operatives in Maharashtra to recruit young men who can avenge the 2002 Gujarat riots. The Gujarat Muslim Revenge Force, an offshoot of LeT, is one such example, say officials.