New Delhi: Security forces caught an affiliate of the Pakistani terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba from Kupwara Wednesday who was planning an attack on the upcoming Amarnath Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir.
A cache of arms and ammunition, including four grenades and two improvised explosive devices (IEDs), were recovered from the accused Shabir Ahmed.
Ahmed, 40, whose father was killed by terrorists decades ago, was caught at a joint checkpoint of the Border Security Force, Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Indian Army on Wednesday afternoon.
The arrest comes at a time when the Union Territory administration is grappling with a series of terror attacks in the border districts of Jammu. Kupwara, too, has for long been considered a hub for cross-border smuggling and infiltration due to its presence along the Line of Control.
In its statement, the BSF said the arrest of Ahmed – an overground worker (OGW) — had dealt a huge blow to terrorists who were planning to use the seized ammunition during the Amarnath yatra.
“It is reliably learnt that terrorists were planning to use these stores to carry out terrorist activities during forthcoming Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra in Srinagar and surrounding areas. This operation has delivered a major blow to the nefarious designs of PoJK-based terrorist groups who have always aspired to disturb the peace and tranquillity in Kashmir Valley,” the BSF’s Kupwara sector headquarters said.
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‘Father killed by terrorists’
Sources in the security establishment said Ahmed moved to downtown Kupwara from Handwara a few years ago and was working as a casual labourer.
They further said Ahmed’s father Ghulam Din was killed by terrorists in the 2000s and there were several others in Kupwara who were under the scanner due to their “vulnerable background”.
“Several such people in Kupwara, which has traditionally been a hub for smuggling and infiltration, have been on our radar for long, based on factors including their vulnerability. The fact that he did not have a proper job and his father was killed by terrorists, made him vulnerable to joining terror outfits which lure individuals for money,” a source told ThePrint.
Another officer said Ahmed’s case wasn’t one-off as security forces on 3 June caught suspected terrorist Aijaz Ahmad Parray from Nagri, Kupwara with arms, including a Chinese pistol and grenade.
The officer further said Parray was out on bail in a Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act case since February.
Three terrorist attacks took place in Jammu between 9 and 12 June, in which one CRPF constable lost his life, while seven security forces were injured. Forces also eliminated two terrorists believed to be linked to the terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed in Kathua, while a search operation is still underway in Doda district where an encounter broke out at Kota Top in Gandoh area.
(Edited by Tikli Basu)