Had come to collect consignment
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 12: A Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant was today arrested by Jammu Police in connection with the recent recovery of an arms consignment dropped by a drone from Pakistan at village Sohanjana near the International Border.
He has been identified as Irfan Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Verinag area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
SSP Jammu Chandan Kohli told the Excelsior that the militant had come to Jammu to receive the arms consignment which was recovered by police from Sohanjana village of Phalian Mandal, about six km from the IB on October 2.
The recovery included an AK assault rifle, three magazines, 30 rounds and one optical sight. The consignment had been dropped near the border through drone.
Kohli said police used CCTV camera footage from different places to zero-in on the person who had to receive the consignment and finally he was identified and arrested from Anantnag.
“The militant had reached Jammu to receive the consignment dropped through drone but returned without picking it up on observing movement of police at the spot,” he added.
Irfan Bhat has been shifted here for further questioning to ascertain identity of the militants who had deputed him to collect the consignment for them.
The consignment had been sent through drone from across the border by the Lashkar-e-Toiba militants with the help of Pakistan army.
A case under various sections of Indian Penal code, Arms Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act was registered at Police Station Satwari in connection with the recovery.
“Bhat stands arrested in connection with the case registered at Police Station Satwari on October 2. He has confessed that he is in touch with handlers across (the border) and is associated with the LeT outfit,” the officials said.
Drone activities from Pakistan have witnessed an alarming increase over the past one year, posing a major challenge to security forces guarding the borders.
Security forces shot down two drones and recovered a large quantity of payloads including rifles, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), sticky bombs and narcotics at different places over the past one year.
The Security Grid at the border was also intensified after the dropping of two bombs by drones at the Indian Air Force (IAF) station Jammu in June this year.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
