Indian doctor suspected of having been Jalalabad prison car bomber

An Indian doctor was among three Indian nationals suspected of having been involved in Sunday’s prison attack in Jalalabad that killed at least 30 people, Indian officials have confirmed. 

The Times of India reported that intelligence officials confirmed the doctor was killed when he rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the gates of the prison at the start of Sunday’s attack.

Dr Ijas Kallukettiya Purayil, was a Daesh member and was on India’s National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) “most wanted” list, according to the Hindustan Times.

Purayil was identified as one of 11 Daesh attackers after the terrorist organization released information and images of the attackers following the siege. 

According to the Hindustan Times, Purayil was the only Indian attacker whose face was visible in photos released by Daesh. The other two Indian nationals wore masks. 

According to the NIA’s website, Purayil’s status is listed as “absconding”.

A charge sheet filed by NIA in 2016 states he was wanted in connection with a case registered in 2016 on charges of criminal conspiracy, commission of unlawful activities, and membership and support of Daesh. 

His wife Reffeala and their minor child left India via Hyderabad airport in June 2016 to join Daesh in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, the Hindustan Times reported.

Reffeala is currently believed to be in a Kabul prison along with her five-year-old son who they took with them in 2016 and an infant born in Afghanistan. 

She was caught along with 24 other Indians in November last year, the Hindustan Times reported. 

In a message to the media after the deadly attack, Daesh said the attack had been carried out by 11 Daesh members – four Tajiks, three Indians, three Afghans and a Pakistani. 

The attack started on Sunday evening and lasted for over 18 hours. During this time hundreds of the 1,700 prisoners in the Jalalabad facility escaped. 

On Tuesday, an Afghan MP confirmed as many as 800 Daesh prisoners were still on the run. 

Abdul Karim Karimi, a Member of Parliament, said: “1,700 prisoners were inside the jail during the attack, they all attempted to escape. Out of which, 500 of them failed to escape, whereas 800 more prisoners including Daesh, Taliban, and criminals fled.”

According to officials, prisoners being held in that particular jail were political prisoners and criminals. Among them were Taliban and Daesh militants.