Terror plot foiled on Pulwama anniversary, student among 4 held

Jammu, February 14

A terrorist plan to set off an explosion at a crowded place here on the second anniversary of the Pulwama attack was scuttled with the recovery of a powerful IED from a nursing student, who was arrested with three others, the police said today.

Mukesh Singh, IGP, Jammu, said six pistols and 15 IEDs were seized in Samba district in another operation. Flanked by DGP Dilbag Singh, he said a youth carrying a bag was found roaming in the vicinity of the local bus stand. When searched, he was found carrying nearly 7 kg of IED.

He identified him as Suhail Bashir Shah, a resident of Newa village in Pulwama, who was pursuing nursing course in a college in Chandigarh and was assigned the task of planting the IED in Jammu by his Pakistan-based handler affiliated with Al-Badr.

“He was given four targets, Raghunath temple, bus stand, railway station and Lakhdata bazar. He was to take a flight to Srinagar on completing his job,” the officer said. Athar Shakeel Khan, an overground worker, who was to receive him in Srinagar, was arrested.

“Suhail’s fellow student from Kashmir, Qazi Wasim, was picked up from Chandigarh while their another associate, Abid Nabi, was arrested in Srinagar,” the officer added. — PTI