J&K: Five Associates Of Hizbul Mujahideen Terrorists Nabbed In Joint Op by Police And Army

The J&K Police and Army nabbed five Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist associates in a joint operation. The team also seized arms and ammunition during raids.

Security forces in Kashmir (Representative image)

Source : PTI

A joint team of the Jammu & Kashmir Police and the Indian Army nabbed five Hizbul Mujahideen associates. The suspects allegedly provided shelter, logistical support, and arms and ammunition. 

Four of the suspects were identified as Ab Rouf Malik, Altaf Ahmad Payer, Riyaz Ahmad Lone, and Ab Majeed Beigh. Another suspect from Bandipora was also arrested. 

When Ab Rouf Malik, Altaf Ahmad Payer, and Riyaz Ahmad Lone, who were working in the Kralpora area, were interrogated, they revealed information about two hideouts constructed for terrorists of the Hizbul Mujahideen. The hideouts were built on the instructions of a Pakistani terrorist handler Farooq Ahmad Pir, alias Nadeem Usmani, of Kakroosa Kupwara.  

When the team raided the hideouts, the found various arms and ammunition — one AK rifle, two AK Magazines, 119 AK ammunition, one pistol, one pistol magazine, four pistol rounds, six hand grenades, one IED, two detonators, two wire bundles and one water tank of approximately 100 litres. 

The trio revealed that they had got Rs 6 lakh in cash in June 2022 to facilitate the construction of the hideouts and procure the weapons. 

Rs 64,000 was recovered from them. The other two suspects were detained for interrogation as they had allegedly been supporting the trio. The terrorist associates were in touch with another terrorist handler named Fayaz Geelani of Budgam, presently in POK. 

The suspects were allegedly asked to select targets for the terrorists and radicalise youths to join the Hizbul Mujahideen. 

Two days ago, security forces in Jammu and Kashmir neutralised three local terrorists linked to proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in an encounter in the Shopian district.  The Police identified two of the terrorists as Lateef Lone and Umer Nazir. Lone was involved in the killing of a Kashmiri Pandit Shri Purana Krishna Bhat while Umer Nazir of Anantnag was involved in the killing of Till Bahadur Thapa of Nepal, said ADGP Kashmir