NIA arrested 5th Lethpora CRPF camp terror attack accused

SRINAGAR: National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday arrested the fifth accused in connection with a militant attack on CRPF camp at Lethpora in 2017.

NIA spokesman said in a statement that on April 14 it arrested Irshad Ahmad Reshi, a resident of Ratnipora, Pulwama in Case RC No. 10/2018/NIA/DLI (Attack on CRPF Group Centre, Lethpora).

“Arrested accused Irshad Ahmad Reshi is an active OGW (over ground worker) of proscribed militant organisation Jaish-e-Muhammed. He was a close associate of slain militant and JeM Commander Noor Mohammad Tantray alias Noor Trali. The attack on CRPF Group Centre, Lethpora was executed under a conspiracy to avenge the death of Noor Trali, who was killed in an encounter with security forces in December 2017,” NIA spokesman said in a statement.

“Irshad Ahmad Reshi has been found to be a key conspirator, who provided logistic support in form of sheltering and transport for the militants and conducting reconnaissance of the CRPF Group centre, Lethpora before the attack,” he said.

“Irshad Ahmad Reshi will be produced before the Special NIA court, Jammu on 15.04.2019 with a request for grant of police custody for further investigation,” the NIA spokesman added.

“The militant attack on CRPF Group Centre, Lethpora, was carried out in the intervening night of December 30-31, 2017, by three militants belonging to JeM,” he said. All the three militants were killed in the encounter.

Five CRPF personnel were killed and three were grievously injured in the incident in December the spokesman added.

The NIA spokesman said that other four accused, namely Fayaz Ahmad Magrey of Lethpora, Manzoor Ahmed Bhat of Pampore, Nisar Ahmed Tantray of Tral, and Syed Hilal Andrabi of Ratnipora, had been arrested earlier.