With the arrest of three Pakistan-linked LeT terrorists on Sunday the J&K Police claimed to have busted a terrorist module tasked to kill off-duty policemen in Srinagar.
According to J&K DGP RR Swain, the trio is said to have involved in an assault on a policeman in Srinagar earlier this month.
Addressing a press conference at Police Control Room (PCR) in Srinagar, DGP Swain said after investigations and water-tight evidence, police found that the three Srinagar based terrorists identified as Imtiyaz Ahmed Khanday, Mehnan Khan and Danish Ahmed Mala were involved in the attack.
The DGP said that during the course of investigations, it came to fore that the arrested terrorists had prepared a long list of policemen to be targeted. “There were others on the list as well but the majority of targets were policemen,” he said.
The DGP said these terrorists were working at the behest of Pakistan-based handler Hamza Burhan, who originally hails from South Kashmir’s Pulwama.
“Of the three terrorists, Danish Malla was the mastermind, who hatched a conspiracy to attack police constable Muhammad Hafiz Chak, who was on way back to his home after performing his duty on 9 December. Six bullets were fired at him, two pierced through and one hit his spine that was removed by the doctors. The injured constable is stable,” he said.
Imtiyaz Ahmed Khanday had fired at the constable Hafiz at Hamdaniya Colony, Bemina.
The DGP said that during the course of interrogation, the weapon of offence — Canik TP09, Turkey made Pistol, one magazine, and one round 9 mm was recovered from Imtiyaz Ahmed Khanday.
From Mehnan Khan, the DGP said, another CanikTP09 Turkey made pistol, one magazine and seven rounds were recovered. From Danish Mall, 57 9mm rounds and two magazines were recovered,” he said, adding that the arrested terrorists were affiliated with Lashkar-e-Toiba/TRF.
Asked whether it was for the first time that Turkey-made pistols were recovered, the DGP said that in the past also such small-arms were recovered.
“Such weapons are being dropped from drones and pushed into J&K through other means as well,” he said. “Such weapons being light in weight are easy to carry.”
To a query whether there was any connection of the module with the killing of police inspector Masroor Ahmed Wani who was attached while playing cricket at Eidgah, Srinagar on 29 October, the DGP said the case is being investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).