2 Jaish OGWs held with arms, ammunition

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 9

Two local Jaish-e-Mohammad overground workers were arrested with arms and ammunition, including a US-made M-4 rifle, on the Jammu Srinagar highway late on Tuesday evening, the police said.

The recovery was made from a truck near the Jawahar tunnel at Qazigund in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district and the vehicle was coming from Akhnoor, Jammu.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), south Kashmir range, Atul Goel said the recovered weapons were apparently meant to recruit new people into militancy.

“One thing is clear that consignment of weapons and ammunitions was obviously meant to fuel terrorism in the Valley and that is our preliminary assessment,” DIG Atul Goel said.

He said the J&K Police had constituted a special investigation team (SIT) to find out all the details about the case, like from where the weapons were collected and what the final destination was.

The DIG said in the past there had been instances where arms and ammunition were recovered on the Jammu-Srinagar highway.

A police spokesman said following a credible input regarding transportation of illegal arms and ammunition in a vehicle moving towards Srinagar from Jammu, a joint naka was established near the Jawahar tunnel at Qazigund in Kulgam.

“A truck bearing registration no JK-22B-1737 was intercepted by the joint forces. While searching the vehicle and during interrogation of suspects an M4 Carbine, AK rifle and six Chinese pistols with ammunition were recovered,” the spokesman said.

He said the driver and cleaner were arrested. They were identified as Bilal Ahmad Kuttay of Chotapora, Shopain, and Shahnawaz Ahmad Mir of Mandujan, Shopian. He said the two were associated with the Jaish.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the duo have been involved in terror crimes and provide support to terror organisations,” he said.

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