2 modules of JeM busted; 18 aides of militants held

SEIZURE Gelatin sticks, detonators, material for making IEDs and grenades have been recovered from the accused, say J&K police

SRINAGAR : Jammu and Kashmir police claimed on Monday that they have busted two modules of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and arrested ten associates of militants in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

In north Kashmir, eight persons were detained for allegedly hatching a conspiracy to snatch weapons from police.

Police said the 10 men were JeM associates and arrested them from Tral and Khrew in Pulwama.

The department’s spokesperson Manoj Kumar said four people were arrested in Tral. “In view of the surge in terror attacks in Tral, a special team was constituted to investigate these cases and on the basis of material evidence collected, four persons were taken into custody,” he said.

“A probe into the cases revealed their complicity in the terror attacks carried out in Tral of south Kashmir,” Kumar said.

Another module was busted in Pampore in which six associates of JeM were arrested on the basis of incriminating material recovered.

“Huge quantity of incriminating material was recovered from this terror module, including gelatin sticks, detonators, materials for making IEDs and grenades,” the spokesperson said.

In north Kashmir, eight alleged aides of militants were arrested for “conspiring to snatch weapons” from security forces.

“Based on a credible input that a criminal conspiracy has been hatched by some associates of terrorists to snatch weapons from police, police detained eight persons from Baramulla, Tangmarg and Srinagar,” Kumar said.

MIRWAIZ PUT UNDER HOUSE ARREST

Moderate separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was put under house arrest as separatistsponsored human rights week

commenced in Kashmir on Monday, police said.

Hardline separatist Syed Ali Geelani continues to be under house detention while Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Yasin Malik has been in police custody since November 19. The three leaders have asked people to observe human rights week from December 3 to 9. “We can’t allow a major protest programme which can result in breach of public order. We have no issues if somebody takes out a candlelight protest,” he said.

The official said that Yasin Malik was taken to a hospital while in custody for a checkup.