The Jammu and Kashmir police Sunday identified one of the key masterminds behind the twin bus blasts which rocked Udhampur on September 28/29 last week and also arrested one of the accused who was chiefly responsible for planting the IED's in both the buses at the behest of his handler currently operating from Pakistan.
Two civilians were injured in the blasts triggering panic in the area. Luckily, no other loss of life was reported as the buses were found empty when the blasts were triggered.
Addressing a joint press conference in Jammu in the presence of Director General of Police Dilbagh Singh, Additional DGP Mukesh Singh told reporters, "like previous blast which took place in Udhampur in the month of March 2022, the foot prints of Pakistan based terrorist Mohammad Amin Bhat alias Khubaib, hailing from the Doda district, have been tracked down with the arrest of an accused terrorist Aslam Sheikh, resident of Basantgarh area of Ramnagar, Udhampur district.
After the twin blasts, "4-5 suspects were picked up for questioning by the investigating teams of the Udhampur police". During the interrogation one Aslam Sheikh, confessed to his involvement behind the twin blasts. Singh told reporters, Aslam in his confession told interrogators he was acting at the behest of LeT terrorists Mohd Amin Bhat.
According to the records of the J&K police, "Mohammad Amin alias Khubaib, among others, had joined militancy in early 90s and crossed the border for arms training. He is presently operating from Pakistan and Pak-Occupied-Kashmir and is desperately attempting to revive militancy in Doda region by instigating local youth of Doda district to join militancy for carrying out subversive activities.
Bhat,according to ADGP Mukesj Singh, contacted Aslam Sheikh via social media and informed him to pick his consignment of sticky bombs and IED's from Dyalachak area, close to the International border on September 21. The consignment was dropped by the drone sortie in the area. The same consignment was picked up by Aslam Sheikh on the intervening night of September 23-24. According to ADGP Mukesj Singh, "Aslam Sheikh received a fresh set of directions from Mohd Amin Bhat on September 27".
Bhat told Aslam Sheikh to plant the IED's at suitable locations ahead of the visit of VVIP in the Union Territory. After receiving the diktat from his handler operating from Pakistan, Aslam Sheikh set out from his residence in Basantgarh and reached Ramnagar on September 28. Here he used a toilet to activate the two IED's and planted one of them on the same bus in which he arrived there and he planted the second IED in another bus plying on the same route. ADGP Singh also claimed Aslam Sheikh had received clear instructions to set the timer by activating certain switches. Aslam Sheikh activated the two different timers by setting a clock of 7 hours and 14 hours respectively. Meanwhile, another module of Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist outfit was busted by the J&k police with the arrest of Zakir Hussain of Malhar, Kathua district.