Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Nov 9: Police busted a Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant module by arresting its three members while hunt for two others is going on and seven persons were arrested from Srinagar for providing shelter to a LeT militant for almost a month.
Police sources said that the group facilitated movement of LeT commander Abu Hurraira alias Mohammad from Ahmad Nagar in Srinagar to Sopore in North Kashmir.
The LeT module included Obaid Untoo, Omar Shalla and Shabir Shoosha while their two associates are evading arrest. Sources said that the module was busted by Srinagar police, which arrested Obaid from Sopore market after his name surfaced for providing logistic support to Abu Hurraira.
Police sources said that Obaid Untoo facilitated movement of Abu Hurraira from Ahmad Nagar to Sopore in a Santro car and Shalla and Shoosa were his accomplices. Other persons of the module – Manzoor and Aliya – have gone into hiding after the arrest of three men.
Obaid Untoo alias Faris, who was arrested last year by police for his alleged Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) links, escaped from Police Station Sopore in September this year.
Untoo was arrested on October 12 last year and was booked under Public Safety Act (PSA). The Court quashed his PSA in early September this year and he was shifted to Police Station Sopore but was not released after which he escaped.
Police sources said that Untoo was aide of the top LeT militants – Fahadullah, Abdullah Uni, Uri Dar and Muzaffar alias Muzza Molvi.
Untoo was earlier arrested by Police on charges of stone pelting in 2011. He was then lodged in Sub-Jail Baramulla and later released on bail.
Untoo belonged to a rich business family in Sopore and his father who lives in Kral Teng Sopore runs a Fast food restaurant on Tehsil road.
Police have also arrested seven persons from Ahmad Nagar area of Srinagar where LeT militant was hiding for around one month.
Hurraira stayed in Ahmad Nagar area of Srinagar for over a month before moving to Sopore in North Kashmir early this week. These seven men were arrested by police for providing shelter to him during his stay in Ahmad Nagar when Police and CRPF was after him.
The militant was trapped in a security cordon on October 2 in Ahmad Nagar area of Srinagar in a Shawl weaving centre after Police and CRPF launched a joint operation against him.
At least eight police men including a Sub-Inspector of Police were injured in the gun battle that raged and the LeT militant fled to nearby Anchar lake under the cover of darkness.
Security forces later launched massive searches of Ahmad Nagar and Anchar but the militant was not found and he was reportedly hiding in seven different houses during his stay in Ahmad Nagar and Police and CRPF launched several operations in the area but failed to trace him out.
After the arrest of Obaid from Sopore by Srinagar Police, Abu Hurraira gave slip to the security forces in Chankhan Sopore where he was hiding in the house of one Salim Dar. However, security forces recovered arms and ammunition from Dar’s house.
Sources said that the Abu Hurraira had arrived in Sopore from Srinagar hardly few hours before the security forces cordoned the Sopore locality.
Security forces have launched a massive hunt for Abu Hurraira and they believe that he is still hiding in Sopore.
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