SRINAGAR, Aug 1:
Jammu and Kashmir police claimed to have busted a Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) module involved in the killing of Special Police Officer (SPO) and injuring a sarpanch in apple township of Sopore in north Kashmir.
With the busting of the module, security forces have foiled a HM plan to killed five sarpanchs before the Eid festival in Baramulla.
A police spokesman said here this afternoon that a joint investigation was launched by state police, Army and CRPF after militants shot dead a SPO Mudasir Ahmad Dar and injured a sarpanch Khizar Mohammad Parray in Sopore recently.
During investigation on an eye witness account, a suspect Asif Ahmad Dar alias Ashmate was identified.
However, to effect his arrest, Sopore Police, 22 RR and CRPF laid a cordon around his house, the spokesman said adding but Asif jumped from the second storey and attempted to fire upon search party.
But, he said, Asif’s pistol got stuck and he was overpowered and arrested.
On his disclosure one more suspect Aqib Ahmad Mir was also arrested, the spokesman said adding that one more pistol was recovered from his possession.
The duo revealed involvement of two more individuals in commission of crime and conspiracy.
Both the accused Mehrajudin Rather and Fayaz Ahmad Lone were also arrested by Police with the assistance of 52 RR and CRPF.
Two more pistols were recovered from their possessions.
Further questioning of all the arrested confirmed their involvement in the attack on sarpanch on July 26.
They said they came out from the mosque before the sarpanch and Asif with backup support of other two fired upon him from point blank on sarpanch.
Assuming him to be dead they fled away from the spot.
Moreover, on July 28, 2013 they went to Untoo Hamam and attacked SPO Mudasir Ahmad Dar killing him on spot.
Mudasir was a member of anti-narcotics squad of Sopore Police.
During questioning, it also surfaced that they were affiliated with Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) working under direct command of HM Commander Imtiyaz Ahmad Kandoo alias Fayaz and another HM militant Mehrajudin Halwai who had plans to kill at least 5 more Sarpanchs before Eid-ul-Fitr in Sangrama area.
They had received orders directly from HM supremo Mohammad Yousuf Shah alias Syed Salahudin based in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) to kill the Sarpanchs. (UNI)