Tuesday, January 3 2006 13:05 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangalore: In a major breakthrough, Police have arrested a Lashkar-e-Toiba operator in connection with the terror attack at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) here on Wednesday last, police said.

35-year old Abdul Rehman, a leading LeT operator in the South, was picked up by special investigation team from Nalagonda in Andhra Pradesh on January one, police said. He was produced before a court here yesterday and remanded to police custody for 14 days, they said.

Police had launched a massive manhunt to nab the perpetrators of the audacious attack on the IISc campus, which had left Prof M C Puri of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, dead and four others wounded.

Based on the initial clues, the Bangalore Police Commissioner Ajay Kumar Singh had said last week that the attack had the 'trademarks' of LeT.

Singh told reporters today that Rehman was in charge of LeT operations of South India.

He said no seizure had been made from Rehman. Rehman would be subjected to narco-analysis test, if necessary, at a later stage, he said.

Singh said Rehman's 'strong LeT' links had been established and he was also said to be in charge of 'violent' LeT operations in South India.

He said Rehman's arrest would lead to a 'major breakthrough'. "We have reasons to arrest him".

Singh said according to the details of his passport, Rehman was an Indian national and was in Saudi Arabia for the last few years. Rehman also claimed to be a businessman.

The police did not release the photo of Rehman. Singh said except Rehman, none else had been arrested in connection with the IISc attack.