Major terror plot to flare-up militancy foiled
Module was based in 3 districts of Jammu region
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, June 6: Intelligence agencies and Jammu Police have averted major terror plot hatched by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Hizbul Mujahideen from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) to step up terror activities in Jammu region by arresting four spies-turned-militants from Udhampur, Doda and Kathua districts today, taking total number of such arrests to six in the past over one week.
The spies-cum-militants, who have been booked under stringent 3/Enemy Agent Ordinance, Section 120-B and 121 A RPC, at Joint Interrogation Centre (JIC) police station in FIR No. 1 of 2019, were reported to be in direct contact with Pakistan ISI’s top officer, Col Iftikhiar Ahmad and Hizbul Mujahideen commanders to step-up militant activities in Jammu region especially Doda, Udhampur and Kathua districts, where they were residing.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the arrested spies-cum-militants had to be trained within the forest areas of Doda, Kishtwar and Kathua. They were actively spying for Pakistan’s ISI and Hizbul Mujahideen on receiving instructions from across the border.
“The arrests have turned out to be major success as the spies-cum-militants were not only in direct link with Pakistan’s ISI and Hizbul Mujahideen but had also established well-knit network in upper reaches of Doda, Udhampur and Kathua districts and had worked out their plan on going ahead with revival of militancy in Jammu region,” they said.
Sources identified four arrested militants as Saddam Hussain son of Mohammad Bhat, a resident of Bhrou, Lohai in Kathua district, Safdar Ali son of Mohammad Younis R/o Khaned, Basantgarh in Udhampur district. Mohammad Saleem son of Qamar Din R/o Lohai Malhar in Kathua district and Abdul Kareem son of Mohammad Shafi, a resident of Thal, Lohai in Kathua district.
Their arrests were made on the basis of clues given by two Pakistani spies arrested outside Ratnuchak Military Station about 10 days back when they were videographing the vital Army installation. The duo had been identified as Mushtaq Ahmad Malik son of Atta Mohammad, a resident of Sheel Bandass in Doda district and Nadeem Akhtar son of Mohammad Shafi R/o Malhar, Kathua.
“The fact that six spies-turned-militants belonged to three different districts of Doda, Udhampur and Kathua indicated the wider plans of Hizbul Mujahideen and the Inter-Services Intelligence as they had covered these three districts for revival of militancy,” sources said, adding the Hizbul Mujahideen had proposed training for them in the local jungles before assigning them the tasks to execute.
ISI officer Col Iftikhiar Ahmad was handling all six Pakistani spies from across the border along with some Hizbul Mujahideen commanders, who originally belonged to Jammu region but had now settled in Pakistan and PoK after actively joining the militancy following training in the camps.
Intelligence agencies, according to sources, have recovered vital data from mobile telephones of all six spies, which they had forwarded to Pakistan’s ISI and Hizbul Mujahideen commanders. The data included photographs and videos of strategic locations. Pakistani handlers of the spies had duly acknowledged the receipt of data by giving signs of thumbs up on mobile phones.
“The mobile telephones of all six accused were being investigated by the cyber experts to extract whatever data possible from them as they were reported to have deleted some of the data,” sources said.
Noting that arrests of the spies have turned out to be of great significance, sources said their sustained interrogation was on and some more vital clues were expected. However, as far as this module was concerned, they added that only six persons were part of it and all of them have been arrested and booked.
There had been specific Intelligence inputs that after revival of militancy in Kishtwar district, the militants were now targeting remaining districts of Jammu region, which has been further authenticated with the arrests and disclosures made by the spies, sources said, adding that police was taking all measures to prevent spread of militancy in other districts after flare-up in Kishtwar, where BJP leader Anil Parihar and his brother Ajit Parihar were killed by the militants on November 1, 2018 while top RSS functionary Chanderkant Sharma and his PSO Rajinder Kumar were gunned down on April 9 this year.
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