Major blow to terror network as huge quantity of arms, ammunition and explosives seized
Bunty Mahajan
JAMMU, JULY 18: The Jammu and Kashmir Police in a major blow to terror network across Jammu division, on Monday claimed to have busted three terror modules, leading to the apprehension of nearly half a dozen Lashkar-e-Toiba militants and seizure of huge quantity of arms, ammunition and explosives from different places.
Additional Director General of Police, Jammu, Mukesh Singh said that one module was busted in Jammu and two others in Rajouri. While three militants have been arrested in Jammu and Kathua districts, four have been apprehended in Rajouri district.
The Jammu based terror module was led by Faisal Munir of Talab Khatikan area and his handler was Lashkar-e-Toiba commander Bashir Shezan of Doda, who was presently based in Pakistan occupied Kashmir. There were 4-5 more boys working with Munir, ADGP said, adding that two of them – Mian Sohail and Habeeb, have been arrested from Kathua district. The police are looking for the others.
An AK-47 rifle, five pistols along with two silencers and 15 maazines, eight grenades, a weighing machine and large quantity of ammunition have been seized from Faisal’s residence, he said, adding that this module had been collecting arms, ammunition, explosives and money dropped by Pak drones at different places near the international border in Jammu province and thereafter transporting these consignments to militants in Kashmir.
Faisal and his accomplices had received more than 15 drone sorties from Pakistan during the past two and a half year and delivered them to Kashmir Valley.
It got unearthed following apprehension of Habib of Hariya Chak village in Kathua district during joint investigations by police team from Kathua district and SOG Jammu into the seizure of a consignment of seven sticky bombs and an equal number of UGGL grenades after the shooting down of a drone by police there in May last. He confessed having received multiple consignments of arms and ammunition dropped by drones from Pakistan side and having delivered them to different people at different places on the instructions of Faisal Munir. He also named his one more accomplice as Miayan Sohail of Kathua. Both Faisal and Sohail were arrested.
Faisal accepted his link with Pak based Handlers and his involvement in this terror nexus for more than two and half years and that he has recieved more than 15 drone dropped consignments dropped at multiple locations at Samba and Kathua including Manyari, Mawa, Hari e Chak etc. These consignments were further delivered by him at different locations at Jammu and also in Kashmir Valley on directions of his Pak Handler, ADGP Jammu said.
Faisal was among several people arrested following 2000 unsuccessful fidayeen attack in Government run Hari Singh High School in Jammu city. He was also convicted by the court in that case, ADGP said, adding that he was later bailed out. However, he again got in contact with LeT and set up the terror module in Jammu.
The consignment of arms and ammunition including M4 rifle seized by police after the first ever shooting down of drone by BSF at Manyari in Kathua district in June 2020 also had to be collected by this module, Singh said, adding that 15 pistols seized by police in Srinagar some months ago too were delivered from Jammu by its members.
In border Rajouri district, Singh said that police busted two terror modules being run by Talib Hussain Shah alias Abu Ahmad and Altaf Hussain Shah, both Kotranka’s Draj area in border Rajouri district.
Talib along with a Kashmiri militant was recently apprehended by local villagers in Reasi district’s Mahore area and huge quantity of arms and ammunition seized from them. Talib has been instrumental in almost all the major terror activities in Pir Panjal area over the past three years.
Pointing out that he was tasked to carry out attacks on security forces, minority community and prominent political figures, ADGP said that Talib had received five major consignments of arms, ammunition, explosives and Indian currency dropped by Pakistan drones which are being investigated by the police.
Following his questioning, police have seized three UBGL grenades, one AK 47 rifle alongwith four magazines containing 129 armour piercing rounds, two pistols along with five magazines, one Glock pistol silencer, 40 Chinese pistol rounds, two IEDs of 2 kg and 5 kg each, five remote control devices and four pressure mines.
Apart from this, he had also received two groups of militants who were transported from Kashmir to Rajouri by Talib’s associate Mohammad Shabir of Draj who has also been arrested. One of these militants, Faisal Ahmad dar of Pulwama was apprehended along with Talib by the villagers in Reasi district, Singh said, adding that police are looking for other two militants who are still active in higher reaches of Pir Panjal.
Another Lashkar module was being run by Altaf Hussain Shah of Draj who too has been arrested, ADGP said, adding he was involved in grenade attack on the house of a local BJP leader in Rajouri in which a child was killed. The attack was carried out by Altaf Shah on the instructions of his Pak based handler Mohammad Qasim @ Suleiman of Angrala, Mahore.