Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Oct 18: In a sensational revelation, the investigators have, for the first time, came across the involvement of a woman militant of Kashmir in August 5 terror attack by the militants at Narsu, Samroli in Udhampur district on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and detected unique modus operandi used by the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit to transport two Pakistani militants from Kulgam in the Kashmir valley to Narsu in a truck, covering distance of about 200 kilometers unchecked by the police.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the latest disclosure about involvement of a woman militant and her husband in the terror attack has been made by Shabzar Ahmad, cleaner of the truck, who had transported two Pakistani militants-Mohammad Naved and Momen from Kashmir to Narsu, during his sustained interrogation by the National Investigating Agency (NIA) following his arrest a day before from Kulgam.
Sources said Shabzar and Naved, a Pakistani militant of the LeT, who was captured alive by the locals at Narsu on day of the attack, have been confronted and quizzed face-to-face and both have confirmed involvement of the woman militant and her husband in the terror attack. The NIA had specially taken custody of Naved for three days yesterday to authenticate the revelation made by Shabzar.
According to sources, identity of the woman operative of the LeT has been kept secret but her husband has been identified as Khurshid Ahmad, a resident of Kulgam. Both of them had gone underground immediately after the arrest of Shabzar as they feared that he would reveal their involvement in the terror attack. NIA teams and Kulgam police have been conducting raids jointly at various places to nab the couple as they could reveal more disclosures about the terror attack.
As per new modus operandi used by the LeT, Khurshid Ahmad and his militant wife travelled in a white color Maruti car, about three kilometers ahead of the truck in which top militants-Naved and Momen along with driver and cleaner (Shabzar)-were riding on August 5. There was no incriminating material in the car, which was part of the militant strategy to keep the car and its occupants safe from the searches.
The car would move three kilometers ahead of the truck on the National Highway and the militant couple would stay in touch with driver and cleaner to sound them about any nakas of security forces and police. The truck would stop on getting signal from the car about any naka on the highway and move ahead only after next signal that the naka had been lifted.
“This new technique was used by the LeT to ensure safe travel of Pakistani militants on the highway. It was due to this technique that the two Pakistani militants carrying arms, ammunition and explosives travelled a distance of about 200 kilometers very freely and easily on high security Jammu-Srinagar National Highway from Kulgam to Narsu, Samroli in Udhampur district.
The militant couple in the car and the truck driver and cleaner returned in their vehicles to their destinations after dropping the two militants at Narsu in wee hours of August 5, where they attacked a BSF vehicle killing two soldiers. In retaliation by the BSF, Momen was killed while the people later captured alive Naved.
Sources said Shabzar, whose father, Khurshid Ahmed, owned the truck and was driving it when the militants were transported from Kashmir to Jammu, was also absconding. The car driver was also named Khurshid Ahmed.
Sources said the car couple, Khurshid Ahmad and his wife were LeT operatives and will be treated as militants as they were willingly responsible for escorting dreaded Pakistani militants to the highway for carrying out terror attack.
They added that first charge sheet by the NIA in Narsu attack, which was likely to be filed by the month end, was not expected to be delayed slightly due to new twist in the attack and incorporation of more names in the case. However, the NIA was likely to file first charge sheet next month and then file supplementary charge sheets as and when the remaining accused were arrested.
Sources described as very disturbing and dangerous the new modus operandi used by the LeT outfit by keeping car or any other vehicle ahead of the vehicle carrying militants and arms and keep terrorists informed regularly about movement of security personnel.
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