Three LeT terrorists arrested in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla; arms and ammunition recovered

The said terrorists were involved in the killing of Sarpanch in Baramulla's Pattan, the Jammu and Kashmir police said.

File photo

New Delhi: Jammu and Police on Monday (May 23, 2022) arrested three Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists from the Baramulla district and recovered arms and ammunition. The said terrorists were involved in the killing of Sarpanch in Baramulla's Pattan.

"During the investigation in the case of the killing of Sarpanch of Goshbugh Manzoor Ahmad Bangoo, who was killed by on April 15, three suspects namely Noor Mohammad Yatoo, Mohammad Rafiq Parray and Ashiq Hussain Parray, all residents of Goshbugh Pattan, were arrested after receiving information from reliable sources about their involvement in the militancy related activities," SSP Baramulla Rayees Ahmad Bhat said.

The arrested terrorists revealed that they were in contact with Mohammad Afzal Lone, a Lashkar-e-Taiba's overground worker who is currently in judicial custody, the SSP said

The terrorist associate had directed his close aid Noor Mohammad Yatoo to motivate two persons from his area to join the terror ranks.

"Yatoo directed the duo along with his brother-in-law Mehraj-ud-din Dar of Gund Jehangir Hajin Bandipora to meet Lone personally," the police official added.

All the three then met Lone who motivated them and set targets.

"After a few days, Lone sent arms and ammunition (two pistols, two hand grenades, and two magazines with live bullets) to Yatoo through Mehrajuddin Dar for Rafiq Parray and Ashiq Parray with the directions to kill politically affiliated persons, especially Sarpanches of the Pattan area," the SSP said.

It is noteworthy that Lone and his other three associates were arrested in connection with the Palhalan grenade blast case.

"Their arrest delayed the actions of the three and they remained dormant until two local terrorists namely Umer Lone and Gulzar Ganie of Wussan Pattan, who had recently infiltrated back from Pakistan after doing training of arms and ammunition, approached the trio and asked them about the arms and ammunition and the tasks given," Bhat added.

"They told them to complete the given assignments of killing the Sarpanches," he said.

So far, three pistols, three magazines, two grenades, and 32 bullets have been recovered in this case. 

Earlier, police had busted a big terror module in Srinagar and had arrested two terrorists who were tasked to carry out target killings.

"They were planning to do target killings. 15 pistols were recovered from their possession which are used in hit-and-run cases. Busting these kinds of modules is a big success, and we will continue to bust them," IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said.