IGP Kashmir Munir Khan addressing the media on arrests made in Amarnath pilgrim attack.(ANI photo)
Nearly a month after the deadly terrorist attack on Amarnath pilgrims on July 10 in which at least seven people were killed and over 30 were injured, the Jammu and Kashmir police on Sunday said three people involved in the attack have been arrested by its Special Investigation Team (SIT).
Addressing the media, IGP Kashmir Munir Khan said,”Happy to tell you that three accused persons have been arrested and they have completely revealed everything.” The IGP further added that the attackers were militants of Lashker-e-Taiba and the accused have been identified.
The police further said that the four LeT militants, led by Abu Ismail, a Pakistani national, had attempted an attack on Amarnath pilgrims earlier on July 9, but were frustrated by heavy security arrangements. “The attack was initially planned for July 9, but that day there was no movement of CRPF or yatri vehicle in isolation,” the IGP said.
READ | The night Amarnath yatra was attacked
According to a PTI report, the police added that another militant in the group of four had been identified as Yawar, who is a local recruiter for the LeT. The police have also released pictures of Abu Ismail and Yawar. Efforts are on to identify the other two, believed to be Pakistanis, the police said.
On July 10, there was yatri vehicle so they attacked it, had there been CRPF vehicle they would’ve attacked that, they had planned it, said the IGP. They had code word ‘Shaukat’ for yatri vehicle, ‘Bilal’ for CRPF vehicle. “It was purely a terrorist act. We are quite near to them, hopefully, will be neutralising militants soon, it can be today, tomorrow,” said IGP Kashmir Munir Khan.
The IGP also stated that the men, who had allegedly helped the four terrorists by providing them logistics, vehicle and shelter to carry out the attack have been identified and taken into remand recently. He said that the identified men work as guides to the LeT militants.
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The men have been identified as Bilal Ahmed Reshi, Aizaj Wagey and Zahoor Ahmed. The police said that the trio had carried out reconnaissance exercises and chosen Botengo near Khanbal as the spot where the attack could be carried out. They had provided shelter to the four militants in Khudwani and Sriguffwara of South Kashmir, IGP Khan added.
The Jammu and Kashmir Police had constituted a SIT led by Deputy Inspector General (South Kashmir) Swayam Prakash Pani to probe the attack where the militants fired at a bus carrying the pilgrims returning from their Amarnath yatra.
