Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 8: Police and NIA today conducted series of raids in South Kashmir and arrested eight operatives of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) including the militants, who had given shelter to Mohammad Naved Yaqub, a Pakistani ultra captured alive from Narsu, Samroli in Udhampur district on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway while it was now hunting for a Kashmir based businessman, who had paid terror fund worth Rs 5 lakh to LeT deputy commander Abu Dujana for carrying out the attack on the Highway on August 5 in which two BSF jawans and a Pakistani militant were killed and 13 jawans were injured.
Meanwhile, the National Investigating Agency (NIA) was expected to take over the case on Monday from police.
Official sources told the Excelsior that Special Squads of Jammu and Kashmir Police, Intelligence agencies and NIA have carried out series of raids during past two days in South Kashmir, where Naved had spent nearly one and half months after infiltration into Kashmir from the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara sector. The arrested LeT operative included those who had given shelter to him in his houses and other places, transported him from one place to another along with weaponry and arranged other logistic support for him.
Sources said a Kashmir based businessman was being vigorously searched by the police and Intelligence agencies following inputs that he had paid Rs 5 lakh worth terror fund to LeT deputy commander Abu Dujana, also a Pakistani national for carrying out the National Highway attack. Identity of the businessman has been kept secret by the police but, according to sources, he has gone into hiding after the arrest of Naved as he was aware of the highway attack.
Police and Intelligence agencies were searching the businessman as his arrest could turn out to be very useful in busting entire network of the LeT, which was instrumental in shielding the Pakistani militants—Naved and Momen and arranging all kind of support for them for carrying out August 5 terror attack.
The arrested persons have been identified as Fayaz Ahmad Wani and Javaid Ahmad Wani sons of Mohammad Shaban Wani of Awanpora, Charsoo Awantipora in district Pulwama. The duo is carpenter and were working with a contractor at Air Force Station Awantipora.
Mohammad Altaf Wani son of Ghulam Rasool of Awantipora Charsoo who is Salesman and Javaid Ahmad Parray son of Jabar of Katipora Charsoo Awantipora, Driver and Domestic work were also arrested.
Brother and father of Fayaz Ahmad Itoo from Khudwani Kulgam, who had also helped the attackers, were also arrested while hunt for Itoo is going on.
The Pakistani militant has been lodged at Raj Bagh near Police Station and the arrested persons are being shown to him for identification.
Sources said Fayaz Ahmad Wani was arrested following day long questioning after it was established that he had given shelter to Naved and Momen in his house for couple of days before the Pakistani militants set off for the attack. Fayaz had sheltered the militants at the behest of Abu Qasim, the South Kashmir commander of the LeT, who had handled the entire operation of August 5. Qasim had escaped from custody of the security forces at Kakapora, Pulwama yesterday.
Later, his brother Javed Ahmed Wani was also arrested following disclosures that he too was involved in giving shelter to the militants.
Some family members and neighbours of Fayaz Ahmad have also been subjected to questioning by the police and Intelligence agencies to corroborate the facts, sources said.
Javed Ahmad Parray, a tanker operator has been arrested as he was believed to be the same tanker operator, who had transported the militants in his tanker from Kulgam to Narsu. The tanker operator had returned after dropping the militants. The militants had spent intervening night of August 4 and 5 in the tanker along with tanker operator between Patnitop and Kud before setting off for the attack in the morning of August 5.
It was not yet clear whether Parray had driven the tanker upto Narsu or someone else.
A tipper driver, Mohammad Altaf Wani has been arrested for carrying the militants to the house of Javed Ahmad Parray.
Sources said four other persons arrested so far were also part of the Lashkar module that was responsible for carrying out the highway attack. They had provided shelter, arranged transport or helped the militants in transportation of weapons. They added that identity of some of the arrested LeT operatives was kept secret as the militants connected to them were yet to be arrested.
Meanwhile, the NIA will formally take over the case of highway terror attack from Udhampur police on Monday. NIA Chief Investigating Officer, Atul Goel, SSP will formally take over case diary, custody of Naved, all other documents related to the attack and weapons seized from slain and arrested militants from Udhampur police.
However, Goel has already started investigations as the Union Ministry for Home Affairs had issued an order yesterday handing over the case to the NIA for investigations.
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