Arrested terrorists 'got visas from Pakistan High Commission in Delhi'

NEW DELHI: Two "Pakistan-trained" Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists arrested by police in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday claimed that they received visas from the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi, reported ANI.

"The arrested terrorists were given Pakistani visas by Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. It's pertinent to mention that for past couple of years police has unearthed several such modules who lure young boys to Pakistan to get trained and join militancy," ANI quoted the Baramulla police as saying.

The two terrorists were arrested in a joint operation by the police, Army and CRPF in Baramulla.

"These militants of Lashkar-e-Taiba were nabbed immediately after returning via the Wagah-Attari border before they could formally join the militant ranks here in Kashmir," PTI quoted a police spokesman as saying.

The terrorists have been identified as Abdul Majeed Bhat, a resident of Kreeri, and Mohammad Ashraf Mir, of Pattan.

The duo revealed that they had travelled to Pakistan on valid Pakistani visas to receive arms training, to carry out terror attacks in the Valley.

"They said terrorist training camps are located near Burma Town, in Islamabad, and are being run by a terrorist commander operating under code names Hanzala, Adanan and Omar. Other terrorists imparting training to young boys are operating with code names Osama, Naveed and Hataf," the spokesman said.

Upon questioning the two also revealed that they had trained alongside a large group of Pakistani boys, most of whom were from Balochistan, reported ANI.

The group had members as young as 10 years old.

"Our neighbouring nation has resorted to allow movement of terrorists by issuing valid visa to them, as infiltration is now tough after security forces tightened security even more," J&K DGP SP Vaid said about the development.

Earlier this week, TOI had reported that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) believes Pakistan is involved in providing technical support to separatists. The agency further believes that Pakistan's spy agency ISI has a "Kashmir Committee" headed by a Brigadier-rank officer to plan and execute terrorist attacks, violence, stone pelting, funding, recruitment, logistics and other anti-India activities.

Among the documents the NIA cited to prove a nexus between the Pakistani government, ISI and Hurriyat leaders, was a letter written by a Pakistani Prime Minister to main hawala conduit and charge-sheeted Valley businessman, Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali.

Watali is close to Pakistan's spy agency ISI and has been charged for bringing in several crores illegally through hawala and other means.


(With inputs from agencies)