Udhampur attack: 2nd driver nabbed

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 1

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a 36-year old driver who had allegedly ferried a group of four Pakistani Lashkar-e-Toiba militants, including Mohammed Naved, to south Kashmir after they infiltrated into Kashmir. The driver, identified as Showkat Ahmed Bhat of Khadermoh in Pulwama was booked by the NIA, probing the attack on a BSF convoy in Udhampur on August 5. Bhat is the second Kashmiri driver booked by the NIA in the case.

Sources said Bhat was an overground worker of Lashkar and was arrested by the police some days back. They said Bhat was an overground worker of Lashkar commander Abu Qasim.

Qasim is the handler of the Udhampur attack and is on the run. The NIA has already announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for information leading to Qasim’s arrest.

“Bhat transported the four Lashkar militants, including Mohammed Naved, in a tipper from Baba Rishi in Baramulla soon after they infiltrated into India from PoK to Charsoo in south Kashmir in June this year,” sources said. The other Pakistani militants ferried in the tipper were Aqasha, Mohammad Bahi and Noman. While Naved was nabbed by civilians and handed over to the police, his accomplice Noman was shot dead in the encounter. The other two Pakistani militants are still at large. On August 22, a truck driver, Khursheed Ahmad Bhat, alias Surya, of Charsoo, Awantipora, Pulwama, was booked by the NIA. He had transported the militants from south Kashmir for carrying out the attack in Udhampur.