Thiruvananthapuram: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted raids in Kasargod and Palakkad of Kerala in connection with the serial blasts in Sri Lanka. The raids were conducted at the houses of Aboobacker Siddique and Ahamed Arafat, natives of Vidya Nagar. 

The NIA seized the mobile phones of the two. According to reports, the duo was interested in the concepts of Zahran Hashim, one of the suicide bombers in the Sri Lankan blasts. The raids were conducted to check whether the duo had any connection with the suicide bomber. 

A notice has been issued to the two asking them to reach Kochi on Monday for interrogation. The raids were conducted by the NIA on Sunday morning. There were reports earlier that those involved in the Sri Lankan blasts had links with Kerala.

Multiple bomb attacks were carried out on churches and hotels on Easter Sunday. Following the serial blasts in Sri Lanka's Colombo that killed hundreds of people, the Sri Lankan police found 87 bomb detonators at Colombo's main bus stand. 

Seven suicide bombers were involved in eight blasts that targeted St Anthony's Church in Colombo, St Sebastian's Church in Negombo and Zeon Church in Batticaloa when the Easter Sunday mass was in progress. The explosions also struck three five-star hotels in Colombo, the Shangri-La, the Cinnamon Grand and the Kingsbury. 

The terror group ISIS had claimed responsibility of the Sri Lanka bombings, however, authorities in the country suspect that a local terror group, National Thowheeth Jamaath (NTJ) could be behind the attacks.

On Sunday, the ISIS also claimed that it was its terrorists that blew themselves up during a gunfight in Sri Lanka on Friday.