Srinagar, Mar 01: Police on Sunday claimed to have arrested two Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants in Srinagar. Arms and ammunition was also seized from their possession, police said.
They identified the arrested militants as Vakeel Ahmed Bhat alias Abu Zarrar and Omar Ismail Das, both residents of Bijbehara, area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
On a credible input, security forces intercepted a car on Barzulla-Chanapora road on Saturday, a police spokesman said.
He said while checking the vehicle, officers recovered arms and ammunition from the two persons.
According to police records, the two are active militants affiliated with proscribed outfit LeT, the spokesman said, adding, both have been arrested and shifted to police station where they remain in custody.
Incriminating material has been seized from their possession and their complicity in other cases will also be probed, he said.
Pertinently, police sources had on Saturday said Bhat was arrested along with three other persons, including two women, from a hospital here.
Police also said that four “militant associates” were arrested from Budgam district of along with arms and ammunition.
Acting on a tip-off, security forces arrested Muzamil Nabi, Umer Ajaz– both residents of Kanihama, Rouf Bhat and Ishfaq Bhat, residents of Kantebagh S K Pora, police said.
The four were involved in providing logistic support and shelter to active militants operating in the areas of Magam Budgam in central Kashmir, police said.
Incriminating material recovered from their possession has been seized, they said.
Cases under relevant sections of law have been registered in police station Magam and further investigation is in progress, police added.
Separately, police said security forces arrested an associate of a LeT militant, who was killed in an encounter in Ganderbal district in November last year.
During investigation of the case pertaining to ‘Operation Kullan’ in which one LeT militant was killed on November 12, 2019, it has been revealed that two militants were brought to Ganderbal district by Fayaz Ahmed Bhat, a resident of Akhal area of Kangan, a police official said.
He said Bhat is an activist of Hurriyat Conference.
“Bhat has been found to have established contacts of militants with (the) locals of Kullan area where they had (taken) refuge on different occasions and (the) said person also ferried (the) militants from Bandipora to Ganderbal at the behest of Pakistani handlers,” the official said.
Bhat was arrested and a Chinese grenade was recovered from his possession, he said.
“Previous record also shows that the said person was involved in grenade lobbying at Kangan police station in the year 2008 and an FIR under the Explosive Substances Act was registered against him. He had remained in jail for a considerable period and was also booked under the PSA (Public Safety Act),” the official added.
While one LeT militant was killed in the encounter, another militant Nisar Ahmad Dar, who had escaped from the encounter site, was arrested by police from a hospital here on January 04, police said.
