In a major development, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday, arrested two more people in the Pulwama attack case, including a man who allegedly bought chemicals online for making improvised explosive device (IED) to be used in an attack on a convoy of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama last year.

The NIA arrested Waiz-ul-Islam (19) from Srinagar and Mohammad Abbass Rather(32), from Pulwama. This takes the total number of arrests being made so far in this case in the past week to five.

This comes days after a father-daughter duo named Tariq Ahmad Shah and Insha Tariq were arrested on March 3, from Lethpora area for their involvement in the terror attack. These arrests were made on the basis of the revelations done by Shakir Bashir Magrey, another suspect who was arrested by the anti-terror probe agency on February 28.

“During initial interrogation, Islam disclosed that he used his Amazon online shopping account to procure chemicals for making IEDs, batteries and other accessories on the directions of Pakistani Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists,” NIA official said.

Islam personally delivered the items to the JeM terrorists after buying them online as a part of the conspiracy to carry out the attack, according to the official.

“Rather is an old overground worker of the JeM. He has disclosed that he gave shelter at his home to Jaish terrorist and IED expert Mohd Umar after he came to Kashmir in April-May 2018,”  said the official.

Rather also sheltered other JeM terrorists – suicide bomber Adil Ahmad Dar, Sameer Ahmed Dar and Kamran, a Pakistani, at his house before the Pulwama attack, the NIA said.

“He also facilitated safe shelter for the JeM terrorists, including Adil, at the house of accused Tariq Ahmed Shah and his daughter Insha Tariq of Hakripora, who were arrested on March 3,” the official said.

Islam and Rather are to be  produced before the NIA special court in Jammu on Saturday.

Meawhile, further investigation in the case continues.

On February 28, the NIA achieved a major breakthrough in the case when it arrested 22-year-old Shakir Bashir Magrey, a furniture shop owner and resident of Pulwama.

Magrey, a resident of Hajibal, Kakapora in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, is an overground worker (OGW) of the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror group. According to the agency sources, Magrey allegedly provided shelter and other logistical assistance to the Pulwama suicide bomber Adil. He was sent to 15 days’ NIA custody by a special NIA court in Jammu and Kashmir.

“Magrey during his interrogation disclosed that on several occasions he collected and delivered arms, ammunition, cash and explosive materials to JeM terrorists, including those involved in the Pulwama attack”, the NIA said on February 28.

Magrey was also involved in modifying the Maruti Eeco car and fitting IED to it in early February 2019. He had further revealed that he harboured Adil Ahmad Dar and Pakistani terrorist Mohammad Umar Farooq in his house from late 2018 till the attack in February 2019, and assisted them in the preparation of the improvised explosive device (IED).

Magrey’s shop is located near Lethpora bridge, and as advised by Mohammad Umar, he started conducting reconnaissance of the movement of CRPF convoys on Jammu-Srinagar Highway in January 2019 and informed Mohammad Umar and Adil Ahmad Dar about it.

The explosives used in the attack were determined through a forensic probe to be ammonium nitrate, nitroglycerin and RDX.

The explosives used in the attack were determined through forensic probe to be ammonium nitrate, nitro-glycerin and RDX. During investigation into the attack, the identity of the suicide bomber to be Adil Ahmad Dar was confirmed through DNA matching with that of his father.

The other key terrorists involved in the attack have been found to be JeM’s south Kashmir divisional head Muddasir Ahmad Khan, killed in an operation by the security forces on March 11 last year; Pakistani terrorists Muhammad Umar Farooq and IED expert Kamran, both killed on March 29 last year; the owner of the car Sajjad Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Anantnag who was killed on June 16 last year, and Qari Yassir, JeM’s commander for Kashmir who was killed on January 25 this year.

Some vehicles in a convoy of 78 buses carrying around 2,500 security personnel on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway were rammed by an explosive-laden vehicle driven by a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad at Lethpora in Pulwama district on February 14 last year, resulting in the death of over 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel and the attacker.

(With PTI inputs)