Jammu & Kashmir Police on Wednesday claimed to have 'uncovered' a sinister plot hatched by the two Pakistan-based terror outfits Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Tayyebba (LeT) to carry out IED and 'fidayeen' attacks in Pampore area of South Kashmir's Pulwama.
To execute the terror plot Pakistan-based handlers had successfully ‘radicalised’ local youth using various social media platforms and ‘apps’.
According to a police spokesman, "a total number of seven terrorist associates have been arrested by the police while tracking down their footprints to avert the terror strike". J&K Police has also recovered huge quantity of explosive material, detonators, grenades and a Maruti car.
Briefing media persons in Srinagar, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, said that Awantipora police arrested four Pampore residents affiliated with the Jaish-e- Mohammad outfit who were planning to trigger a car borne IED on the national highway for which the explosive was being transported from north Kashmir.
First of all the joint team of security forces apprehended a local youth, identified as Sahil Nazir S/O Nazir Ahmad Mir, BA part-1 student of Drangabal area of Pampore. According to a police spokesman, "During questioning, Sahil Nazir revealed that he was in touch with one PAK based terrorist commander Khalid Bin Waleed by means of various communication channels".
Sahil Nazir also revealed, "The terrorist commander Khalid Bin Waleed intends to do some spectacular terror act and then the claim shall be made on behalf of a new terrorist outfit Mujahideen Gazwat-ul-Hind". He further revealed that terrorist commander Khalid Bin Waleed motivated him to carry out terror attack in Pampore area for which he volunteered himself to carry out the attack in the area.
During further questioning, it surfaced that terrorist commander Khalid had delivered Rs 70,000/ to Sahil Nazir for purchasing a vehicle.
The investigation into the case also revealed that Sahil Nazir tasked his other OGWs/associates namely Kaisar Ahmad Bhat son of Farooq Ahmad Bhat resident of Drangbal Pampore to purchase a second hand vehicle. Accordingly the vehicle Maruti 800 bearing registration number JK01E-0690 was purchased from Srinagar. The said vehicle was kept hidden at a safe place at Wuyan in OGW Kaisar’s relative’s house.
Accordingly, three more terrorist associates of the module namely Yasir Ali Wani son of Ali Mohammad Wani resident of Pampore, Kaisar Ahmad Bhat son fo Farooq Ahmad Bhat resident of Drangabal and Mohammad Mounis Fayaz @ Brooj Malik son of Fayaz Ahmad resident of Drangabal were arrested with explosive material.
According to police records, Sahil Nazir along with Kaisar Ahmad Bhat travelled on Scooty to reach the CRPF Camp (Grid Station Pampore) and lobbed a grenade on CRPF (located at Grid Station Pampore) on Jan 25, 2021.
In the second operation, Awantipora police along with security forces have also busted LeT terror module after receiving information that terrorists of proscribed outfit LeT are planning terror attack by means of triggering an explosive substance in Pampore area.
According to a police spokesman," during search operation one OGW/associate of proscribed outfit LeT namely Musaib Aziz Goojri son of Abdul Aziz Goojri resident of Namlabal Pampore was apprehended".
During questioning, Musaib admitted that he was in continuous touch with LeT commander of Pampore Umer Khanday and he has handed a container containing approx. 25 Kgs of explosive material (aluminium powder) to him. Accordingly, the said container containing approx 25 Kgs of explosive substance was recovered. He further revealed that the explosive material has been kept with him for preparing IED and the other parts of IED were supposed to reach to him in near future.
A police spokesman said, "two more terrorist associates of the same module namely Muneeb Mushtaq Sheikh @ Zarar son of Mushtaq Ahmad resident of Drangbal Pampore and Shahid Ahmad Sofi son of Ghulam Mohammad Sofi resident of Namblabal Pampore have been arrested along with explosive material".
As per police records, these arrested terrorist associates are involved in providing shelter, logistics to the terrorists of proscribed terror outfit LeT and transporting arms/ ammunition of the terrorists.