Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Mar 27: Security forces today busted a Hizbul Mujahideen militant module in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district by arresting its 8 members who were tasked to carry out attacks on security forces and snatch weapons.
The Superintendent of Police (SP) Kulgam, Shridhar Patil, told a news conference that the District Police and Army received a specific intelligence input on March 21 that Hizbul Mujahideen militant has constituted a module of about a dozen Over-Ground Workers (OGWs) to carry out attacks on security forces, police personnel and snatch weapons.
Patil said that the module was formed by district commander of the outfit Altaf Dar alias Al-Kachroo and Towseef Sheikh alias Mossad. “We registered a case on the basis of this information and during the investigations, it came to the fore that Zubar Ahmad Badar, a resident of Nai-Basti in Qoimoh area of the district was the main king-pin of this module and he was subsequently arrested along with one of his associates”, he said.
The SP said that during further course of questioning, it became evident that leader of this module and other members were having large quantity of arms/ammunition for conduct of subversive activities.
“The group had certain meetings in the past and had conducted recce of certain places along National Highway especially in Bijbehera town to target police and security force personnel ahead of elections. It was also further revealed that the members of the module who could have successfully achieved the target killings would have been made active members of banned Hizbul Mujahideen militant organization and others would get to conduct further sabotageous tasks to prove their potential,” he said.
Patil said that the group was tasked to target some senior police officers also. “The investigation revealed that they did try to carry out attack in Bijbehara town on 19th of this month but things did not went into their favour. However, before they could have made an attempt, Kulgam police and 1st RR got a clue and busted the module”, he said.
The SP said that during the course of investigations, six more members of the module were also apprehended. He said that Police and Army recovered one Chinese pistol along with three live rounds, two AK 47 magazines along with five live rounds of AK 47, one magazine of INSAS rifle along with 35 live rounds, as well as pouches/medicines and other articles at the behest and disclosure of apprehended members of this module.
“More such recoveries are expected in the coming days. Investigation has also revealed some inter-group collaboration between militant outfits in the district as some of the ammunition has also been passed on to the district commander of Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit through this module by Hizb outfit”, Patil said.
The arrest of these persons and recoveries made is a big achievement for us especially because of the elections. It was a recruitment module in which HM was trying to recruit new people. “In total, eight have been arrested. They belonged to Anantnag and Kulgam. More arrests are expected”, he said.
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