Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Dec 20: Police today arrested a Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant and close aide of recently killed LeT commander in Ganderbal area of Central Kashmir while Army averted a major tragedy by detecting an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Kupwara district of North Kashmir.
Police said that based on credible input, a joint team of Srinagar and Ganderbal Police arrested a militant of LeT from Kangan area of Ganderbal today.
The arrested militant has been identified as Zubair Shabir Bhat son of Shabir Ahmad Bhat resident of Malpora Qazigund. He was affiliated with LeT and was a close associate of terrorist commander Naveed Jutt alias Hanzalla and Umar Rashid Wani alias Abu Haadi.
Police said that he was wanted in a series of militancy related incidents. “He was involved in several conspiracies of weapon snatching and other crimes including threatening of Panchayat and ULB candidates in Anantnag and Kulgam districts recently”, police said.
Police said that he was also involved in many militancy related incidents in Qazigund area. “He was also involved in planning attacks on the security establishments in the area including attacks on local police personnel deployed for duties inside city”, Police said.
Police recovered huge quantity of incriminating material from Zubair. “A case under relevant Sections of law has been registered in the matter and further investigation is in progress. His complicity in other crimes is also being investigated”, Police said.
In the meantime, Army today averted a major tragedy after they detected and defused an IED planted by militants on roadside in frontier Kashmir district of Kupwara.
A Road Opening Party (ROP) of Army detected an IED planted by militants on main road at Shumnag in North Kashmir district of Kupwara this morning.
The area was immediately sealed and traffic and pedestrian movement was suspended on the road as a precautionary measure.
The Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) was summoned to the spot and the IED was later defused without causing any damage.
Security forces today cordoned off Mahin area of Tangmarg in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district after inputs about presence of militants in the area. Army’s 2-RR, SOG and CRPF cordoned off the village and conducted searches. However, the operation was later called off after no militants were found.
And security forces today also cordoned off Batagund village of South Kashmir’s Tral after inputs about presence of militants in the village. The search operation was later called off after no militants were found.
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