The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested a key conspirator in the 2017 Lethpora fidayeen attack case on Saturday—Syed Hilal Andrabi.
Andrabi is said to have provided shelter and logistical support to the slain Jaish-e-Mohammad suicide attackers before they stormed the CRPF group centre on the intervening night of December 30 and 31, 2017.
According to NIA, he is an active OGW (Over Ground Worker) of proscribed terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammad from Jammu.
At the end of December 2017, three JeM terrorists stormed the CRPF Group Centre at Lethpora, killing five security personnel. Three others were grievously injured in ensuing gunfight that lasted 36 hours.
Three terrorists — Fardeen Ahmad Khandey, Manzoor Baba and a Pakistani terrorist Abdul Shakoor — were killed by the security forces in the ensuing encounter.
"Andrabi is a key conspirator who provided logistic support in the form of sheltering the terrorists and conducting reconnaissance of the CRPF group centre before the terrorist attack," NIA said in a statement.
With his arrest, the total number of persons accused arrested in the case has risen to four. Three others — Fayaz Ahmad Magrey, Manzoor Ahmed Bhat and Nisar Ahmed Tantray — were arrested for being a part of the terror conspiracy.
Andrabi sentenced to five days of police custody. "Will will question him to unearth the larger conspiracy behind this attack," said an NIA officer. Andrabi's arrest came days after Tantray, whose brother Noor Trali is believed to have helped revive the JeM in Jammu and Kashmir, was arrested by the NIA after being deported from the UAE in the same case.
Earlier in March, the NIA arrested Fayaz Ahmed Magray from Pulwama for allegedly being the "key conspirator" of the 2017 attack and accused him of providing logistical support such as shelter to the militants and conducting reconnaissance of the CRPF Group Centre.