Jammu & Kashmir police on Monday claimed to have busted the Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) module responsible for the car bomb attack on CRPF convoy near Tethar area of Banihal on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.
On March 30, 2019 at 1015 hrs, a car bomb attack was carried out by terrorists at NHW Tethar Banihal. In this regard a case FIR No 39/19 U/S 307/120/120A/121/121A RPC, 4/5 Explosive Substances Act, 15/16 /18/20 ULA (P) Act was registered at Police Station Banihal and investigation was handed over to SDPO Banihal.
A day later police teams had managed to arrest suicide bomber namely Owais Amin S/O Mohd Amin R/O Vehil Shopian. During his sustained interrogation, he revealed in front of investigations that he was from HM and was in a suicide mission.
Addressing a press conference late evening here in police control room, IG, Jammu range MK Sinha said, “leads given by Owais led to the arrest of other accomplices namely Umar Shafi s/O Mohd Shafi , Aqib Shah S/O Mohd Shafi Shah both R/O Vehil Shopian, Shahid Wani @ Watson S/O Mohd Ayub Wani R/O Kinhama Shopian and Wasim Ahmed Dar @ Doctor S/O Abdul Majeed Dar R/O Chakora Pulwama.
Sinha said, “Owais Amin was motivated by an active HM Commander Rayees Ahmed Khan @ Imaad Khan R/o Shopian and Omar Shafi to attack the security forces on the directions of the HM Chief Commander Riyaz Naikoo”.
He further disclosed that the car which was used in the blast on 30th March 2019 was fabricated by Waseem @ Doctor and some other militants and was handed over to him to attack a convoy of security forces. On 30th March, on an appropriate moment, he chose the target of CRPF convoy and detonated the car in which he was sitting but the explosion packed in the car only blasted partially and he survived with injuries. Next day i.e on 31st March 2019, he was apprehended by Naka party of JKP and Army while he was trying to flee back to Kashmir.
The module of HM militants in this case has been arrested by police. On the disclosure of Wasim and acting on a specific information another member of the HM Module involved in this car blast attack namely Hilal Mantoo S/O Gulam Rasool Mantoo R/O Chakora Pulwama (Kashmir) was arrested by a team of SOG Jammu headed by Dy. SP PC Iftkhar Chaudhary from Central University Punjab where he was pursuing his Ph. D degree.
Hilal Mantoo during interrogation revealed that he was a close confidante of HM commander Dr. Saifullah who is operating in South Kashmir and who has motivated many youth of the area to join militancy.
Hilal Mantoo further revealed that the vehicle IED was fabricated by a group of terrorists including Waseem @ Doctor (now arrested), Hilal Mantoo himself, Munna Bihari (Pakistani terrorist of JeM), Shah Jahan R/O Pulwama also of JeM and Sahil Abdullah. Sahil has been missing from his house after the incident and possibly has become active.
