Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Oct 2: Police to have busted a Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) module in the Central Kashmir district of Budgam that was tasked to create mass unrest in Kashmir valley by targeting religious places.
A police spokesman said here that police in Budgam district busted a LeT module by arresting six militants who have been found involved in the burning of two religious places in the district in summer this year.
Police said that as per investigations the module has been found involved in the burning of Baba Hanief-ud-din shrine at Ratsuna in Beeru in district Budgam and a Masjid in Narbal Magam in district Budgam.
Police identified the members of the module as Zahoor Ahmad Khan alias Zubair, Barkat Ahmad Malik alias Abu Talha, Assadullah Dar alias Assad, Aijaz Ahmad Dar alias Imran, Rouf Ahmad Dar alias Rafeeq and Farooq Ahmad Mir.
Police said Farooq Ahmad Mir has confessed before the Judicial Magistrate, Budgam that he was directed by the LeT militants in Pakistan to burn the religious places to ignite an agitation like that of 2010. Mir had travelled to Pakistan’s Faisalabad in early 2012 and met LeT men there. His travel was facilitated by Zahoor Ahmed of Arth of Budgam district in central Kashmir, police added.
Mir told his interrogators that the LeT militant Waleed, wanted to start an agitation similar to that in 2010 by targeting Masjids and Shrines in Kashmir valley.
Mir, who has appeared in exams and was awaiting results, claimed he had never been part of the group that had indulged in burning of shrines. However, police said on his tip-off, five others were arrested and they are being interrogated.
Baba Hanifuddin shrine in Ratsuna in the central Kashmir district of Budgam was gutted on July 15 this year. This was followed by gutting of part of Masjid in village Ohangam, Beerwah in district Budgam.
It may be mentioned here that several shrines and Masjids were targeted in district Budgam in summer this year triggering protests across Kashmir valley.
Shrine of Dastigeer Sahib in Khanyar area of old city was also gutted in downtown Srinagar, triggering protests across Kashmir. Police said that the investigation is going on into the fire that raised to rubble the Dastigeer Sahib shrine at Khanyar.
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