3 militants involved in Pattan Sarpanch’s killing held
Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, May 23: In a major success for security forces, police arrested two hybrid militants of The Resistance Front (TRF) and recovered a huge quantity of arms ammunition from their possession in Srinagar.
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Inspector General of Police Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, said that police arrested two hybrid militants of TRF in Chanapora area of Srinagar. He added that incriminating materials and a huge cache of arms and ammunition including 15 pistols, 30 magazines, 300 rounds of pistol ammunition and one silencer were recovered from their possession.
He said that acting upon the input about the presence of militants in Chanapora area of Srinagar, a cordon and search operation was launched by Srinagar Police. He said that two hybrid militants of TRF were arrested. They were identified as Aamir Mushtaq Ganai alias Mussa son of Mushtaq Ahmed Ganai resident of Khan Colony Chanapora and Ajlan Altaf Bhat son of Mohd Altaf Bhat resident of Butpora Chanapora.
Kumar said the preliminary investigation revealed that these weapons were sent by Pakistan based handlers of TRF for target killings of civilian and security personnel in Srinagar city. The arrested duo was on assignment to deliver these pistols to other militants in Srinagar to carry out target killings at the behest of Pakistani handlers.
The IGP termed the operation as big success as police averted possible target killings of innocent people particularly in Srinagar City. He revealed that so far 130 pistols have been recovered this year out of which maximum pistols were seized in busting of different militant modules across the Valley.
He said that not only local hybrid militants but even foreign militants have been frequently using pistols as during their killing pistols were recovered.
He further said that investigation of the case is vigorously going on to unearth whole nexus, plan and conspiracy.
“A case under FIR no 31/2022 has been registered in Chanapora Police Station under relevant Sections of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Arms Act and IPC.”
In the meantime, Baramulla Police arrested three hybrid militants of LeT involved in the killing of Sarpanch in Goshbugh Pattan last week.
Senior Superintendent of Police Baramulla, Rayees Mohammad Bhat told reporters that on 15th April, militants fired upon one Manzoor Ahmad Bangroo, Sarpanch of Goshbugh B, at Chanderhama orchards in Wussan area of Pattan.
Immediately after the attack, searches were launched in the area. On this, FIR no 117/2022 of PS Pattan u/s 302 IPC, u/s 307 IPC, 7/27 Arms Act, 16, 20 UAPA, he said.
He said that on the basis of various technical and human leads, investigation was vigorously pursued which led to the apprehension of three suspects by a joint team of Baramulla Police and Army’s 29 RR.
Interrogation of the suspects revealed a deeper conspiracy involving an older sleeper cell of LeT which was responsible for the grenade attack in Palhallan highway last year. The accused arrested in that case especially the prime conspirator, Mohammad Afzal of Barthipora, Naidkhai, Bandipora and Mehrajuddin Dar of Gund Jehangir, Hajin, Bandipora had already tasked multiple blindsided sleeper cells to identify and attack specific targets to spread terror and chaos. “Both of them have been found involved in various such web of modules and are already under arrest, he added.
The SSP said that the module had been tasked to identify and attack representatives of PRIs and other civilians and soft targets for which pistols and ammunition had been provided to the apprehended hybrid militants identified as Noor Mohammad Yatoo son of Ghulam Hassan Yatoo, Mohammad Rafiq Parray son of Mohammad Akbar Parray and Ashiq Hussain Parray, son of Abdul Rahman Parray all residents of Goshbugh, Pattan.
The three militants divulged the plot which was directed by LeT militants Yusuf Kantru and Hilal Sheikh (killed in Malwah encounter) and executed by recently infiltrated militants Gulzar Ganaie (killed in an encounter at Bandipora) and Umar Lone (still active and at large).
The SSP said that the investigations further led to the recoveries or arms and ammunition and to a larger web of links between various organisations on which investigation is going on.
He said that three Chinese pistols, 3 pistol magazines, 2 grenades and 32 pistol rounds were recovered from them. The SSP said that apprehension of the three militants and the recovery of the arms foiled major plots planned in the area.
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