Jammu: Police on Sunday claimed having arrested a militant affiliated with The Resistance Front (TRF), in Jammu city while as a former Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militant on the run for 20 years was arrested in Kishtwar district,.
Sheikh Sunain Yousuf alias “Raja” alias “Sultan”, a resident of Gadapora village of south Kashmir’s Shopian, was arrested and a pistol and seven rounds were recovered from him, a police spokesperson said, adding that a hunt has been launched to nab two of his associates “who provided support to him for reconnaissance”.
“On the basis of credible inputs about the movement of Kashmir-based terrorists to Jammu for a specific task to create terror in the area,” he said police’s Special Operations Group (SOG) Jammu laid ambushes at different locations in Jammu city.
During checking near railway station Jammu, a two-wheeler driver dropped a pillion rider about 50-60 metres behind the check-point and sped away, the spokesperson said.
He said the suspected person, carrying a bag, started moving fast towards a nearby bylane but was chased by police and overpowered at some distance.
The search of the suspect led to the recovery of a pistol loaded with seven cartridges, the spokesperson said, adding he was put under sustained questioning on the spot by officials of SOG Jammu which revealed that he is an “active terrorist of TRF and had come to Jammu for a specific task”.
However, he said the task was not yet conveyed to him by his “handlers”.
“He had come to Jammu on directions of handler Ahmed Khalid alias ‘Hamza’ alias ‘Haqparast’, a Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) based active handler of the TRF outfit,” the police spokesperson said.
Spokesperson said “the terrorist was also in touch with valley-based handlers through telegram and signal apps”.
“The questioning of the arrested terrorist is going on. A hunt has been launched to nab two of his associates who provided support to him for reconnaissance,” the spokesman said, adding more arrests and recoveries are expected at his disclosure.
A case under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Arms Act was registered in Bahu Fort police station and further investigation is on, the spokesman said.
Meanwhile, a former Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militant on the run for 20 years was arrested Sunday in Kishtwar district, police said.
Bashir Ahmad alias Jaffar Khan, a resident of Nowgam village, was wanted in a 2001 abduction and murder case in the jurisdiction of police station Marwah, a police spokesman said.
Ahmad becomes the fourth absconding militant arrested by police in the district since September 15.
Before him, Nazir Ahmad, who was absconding for 12 years, was arrested on September 15. Two days later, police had arrested Abdul Gani alias Mavia who was on the run for 19 years.
Dulla alias Jameel was arrested on September 25 after a 20-year long hunt.
The spokesman said police, acting on specific information, arrested Bashir Ahmad after raiding suspected locations in the Marwah area.
A local court has sent him to judicial custody, he said.
