Major terror attacks in Rajouri, Poonch are linked: Army intel

Arjun Sharma

Jammu, September 3

Major attacks in Rajouri and Poonch districts this year, in which many civilians and soldiers were killed by terrorists, are linked, sources in the Military Intelligence have confirmed. Groups of armed terrorists, after infiltrating from Pakistan into Rajouri and Poonch districts along the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan-occupied J&K (PoJK), were provided shelter by two overground workers (OGWs) who have now been arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The two accused have been identified as Nisar Ahmed, alias Haji Nisar, and Mushtaq Hussain, residents of Mendhar in Poonch.

Ultras got aid from overground workers

• Two overground workers are said to have given shelter to the terrorists who ambushed an Army truck, killing 5 soldiers in Poonch on April 20.
• They also allegedly harboured the militants who killed seven persons in Dhangri village of Rajouri on January 1 and 2 this year.
• They had constructed a hideout for terrorists from which a huge cache of arms and ammunition was found after their arrest in May.

Both the overground workers were arrested in May by the J&K police in a case related to the killing of five soldiers during an ambush of an Army truck near Bhimber Gali area in Poonch on April 20. The NIA took them into custody recently after it was found that both were also involved in harbouring the terrorists who were involved in killing seven persons, including two minors, in Dhangri village of Rajouri on January 1 and 2 this year.

After their arrest in May, a cache of arms and ammunition was also recovered from the hideout constructed by these OGWs for terrorists. During a search operation on May 5 to find out the terrorists involved in April 20 ambush, five soldiers were killed when the terrorists triggered an explosion in Kesari hill area of Rajouri. “Both Nisar and Mushtaq were in touch with terror organisations in Pakistan over communication applications on their mobile phones. The terrorists who attacked Dhangri village had infiltrated into this side of the border last year. It is believed that one or two more groups comprising five to seven militants might have infiltrated and stayed at the hideout constructed by the duo from time to time. A group harboured by the duo was also behind the ambush of the Army truck,” said sources in the Military Intelligence.

Reports had earlier suggested that the two terrorists behind the Dhangri attack were likely part of the group which attacked the Army truck with armour-piercing bullets.

An NIA official, on the condition of anonymity, informed that the Dhangri incident was being investigated from all angles. There are reports of personal enmity between Mushtaq Hussain and a resident of Dhangri village whose house was also attacked on January 1. While these reports are unconfirmed, investigating agencies are verifying them.