Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 1: Police today arrested Hizbul Mujahideen militant, who had attempt to repeat Pulwama like fidayeen attack on para-military CRPF convoy near Banihal on Saturday when he was trying to escape towards Kashmir in a tipper. He has confessed that he had been tasked to trigger the blast by ramming car into the convoy of security forces.
Addressing a press conference tonight, Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh, accompanied by IGP Jammu MK Sinha and DIG Doda-Ramban Range, Bhim Sen Tooty, said security forces and police were maintaining high alert all along the National Highway after the failed attempt of the militants to repeat Pulwama like attack.
The militant, he said, appeared on the National Highway near Banihal late last evening and took lift in a tipper on way to Kashmir. However, alert naka parties apprehended him after spotting burn marks over his body as there had been reports that the militant had sustained minor burn injuries in the blast before fleeing from the spot.
Lauding police parties, Dilbag said it was great success for the police that the militant was arrested within 36 hours of the incident.
The police chief identified the militant as Owais Amin son of Mohammad Amin Rather, a resident of Vehil, Chatta Waran in Shopian district of South Kashmir.
Dilbag confirmed that it was a fidayeen attack on the para-military convoy.
He said a total of two blasts were planned in the car. When the first blast took place, the militant sustained minor injuries and ran away.
Dilbag Singh said first blast was minor and the second didn’t occur as the LPG cylinders, IED didn’t explode. He added that a Study Group has been constituted to submit report including steps required to strengthen mechanism to avert such incidents.
The militant told reporters that he had been assigned the task of pressing button near convoy of security forces. Asked whether he pressed the button by sitting inside the car, he replied in positive.
He had sustained minor injuries in the blast.
The DGP said further investigations in the case were on.
Meanwhile, police have registered a case under Sections 307/120-B, 121, 121-A, 124-A-RPC, 4/5 Explosive Substances Act and 16/18/20 UAPA at Banihal police station against the militant.
Police said the car contained explosive and inflammable substances including more than 50 gelatin sticks (Super power 90), urea, sulphur, ammonium nitrate, two bottles petrol, two LPG cylinders and one live fabricated IED in a tiffin carrier.
Meanwhile, police sources said, sustained interrogation of the militant was on to get details about his handler and other clues.
It may be mentioned here that the militant had tried to blast the car close to the CRPF convoy near Banihal in Ramban district on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. The car caught fire and was gutted but there was narrow escape of the CRPF jawans, travelling in a convoy of 33 vehicles.
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