New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir Police has arrested five people, including two suspected Pakistani terrorists, one of whom was allegedly providing logistical support, funding and safe houses for terror attacks in India, sources told ThePrint.
Abu Hureira, an A+ category terrorist, infiltrated from Pakistan decades ago and functioned as a support base for recruits and other terrorists who had crossed into India over time, the police source said. He was active in the valley for 16 years the source said. A+ categorisation is used for high-priority terrorist targets.
“He, along with his associates, have been very active in Kashmir valley and have handled and commanded about 40 foreign terrorists over a period of time. Most of them have been eliminated by security forces,” the source added.
The source said Hureira was involved in creating the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) network in J&K and other states such as Rajasthan and Haryana.
J&K Police was led to Hureira following the arrest of Naqeeb Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Srinagar, on 31 March. Others arrested in the operation include Adil Rashid Bhat and Ghulam Mohammad Mir, both residents of Srinagar.
“Naqeeb was arrested, and investigation revealed that he is part of the LeT terror network. He procured arms and ammunition from Adil Rashid Bhat, besides facilitating and supporting foreign terrorists,” a second source said.
J&K Police then nabbed Adil Rashid Bhat, who allegedly harboured terrorists, the source said. Searches at his premises led to the recovery of an AK-47 rifle, grenades, live rounds and electronic gadgets, police said.
“During the investigation, searches were also conducted at the premises of Ghulam Mohammad Mir, where a hideout was detected, leading to the arrest of two individuals who were later identified as foreign terrorists, namely Abu Hureira and Khubaib,” police said.
Consequently, police busted multiple hideouts in and around Srinagar. “Incriminating material, including arms, ammunition, electronic devices, and forged identity documents, was recovered from these locations,” a third senior police officer said.
An FIR has been registered under the Unlawful (Activities) Prevention Act, sections of the Arms Act, and the Explosive Substances Act.
‘Terror financing, safe houses’
According to the first source quoted above, Hureira played a central role in terror financing in the valley.
“The channel he used was via Saudi Arabia using Hajj and Umrah agents. Funds were routed via Saudi, then distributed locally to sustain operations,” the source said.
He was in-charge of safe houses, where foreign terrorists would get shelter, the source said. He allegedly helped them get fake identity documents to stay in India.
“He had embedded himself across villages Gassu, Wanihoma, Chaterhama, and Denihama—with Harwan as his key logistics hub,” the source said.
He added, “This arrest has busted a multi-state human and financial network of LeT, solving several previous cases related to terrorist attacks.. To gain trust of the locals, he had married the daughter of Gh Mohammad, linked to Jamaat-e-Islami.”
According to the second source, Hureira cultivated links inside Kashmir University, using the Naseem Bagh campus in Srinagar as a hideout during police operations in 2022–23.
So far, police said, they have conducted searches at 19 locations across J&K, Rajasthan and Haryana. They recovered AK-47 rifles, one AK-Krinkov rifle, pistols, hand grenades and other electronic equipment, the officer said.
Forged documents bearing addresses from other states were seized from the possession of the two Pakistani terrorists, indicating the use of false identities and possible facilitation channels outside Jammu and Kashmir, the senior police officer quoted above said.