Abid Bashir
Srinagar (NVI): After averting a major terror attack, Jammu and Kashmir police has achieved a significant breakthrough as it has found out the explosive-laden car’s owner, who is a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Hidayatullah Malik.
Malik, a resident of Shopian district, had joined the Pakistan-based terror outfit last year, according to an official, who said a manhunt has been launched to track him down.
Security forces yesterday averted a major terror attack by intercepting in Pulwama district a Santro car, which carried about 45 kgs of explosives and was possibly to be used in an attack on the lines of one carried out on CRPF convoy on February 14 last year in the same district. At least 40 CRPF personnel were killed in that attack carried out by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad terror outfit.
Effort is to catch Malik alive so that he can be interrogated to unravel the entire terror plot, the official said.
The ownership of the car, which had fake registration number and was driven by a terrorist who escaped after being fired upon by security forces, was traced after taking samples of the engine and other details of the car, which was exploded yesterday in a control manner to neutralise the bomb.
The car was destroyed in a “technical way” by the Bomb Disposal Squad of security forces at Ayegund area of Rajpora in Southern district of Pulwama. The police along with other security agencies had sought the help of forensic experts in tracing the owner of the car and today a “major breakthrough was achieved.”
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir zone Vijay Kumar had yesterday said it was a joint plot of Hizbul Mujahideen and Jaish-e-Mohammad and two more terrorists, along with the one who was driving the vehicle, were involved.
It is being investigated as to where the car was prepared for the explosion.
“We are also looking for the Over Ground Workers (OGWs), who helped the militants prepare the car-bomb and how they got the explosive material in such a huge quantity,” the official said.
“One thing needs to be appreciated that the lead was perfect and it was reacted to in a timely manner, thereby a major tragedy was averted,” the official said.
Director General of CRPF A P Maheswari lauded the role of CRPF men, who were part of joint check post at Ayegund village of Rajpora, Pulwama, where the car was intercepted. According to Junaid Khan, CRPF’s spokesman for operations in Kashmir, Maheswari appreciated the timely action of CRPF men in detecting the car laden with explosives beforehand.
“The DG CRPF announced a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh to the CRPF team involved in the operation. And also announced a commendation disc,” Khan said.
