J&K police arrest top Lashkar commander

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Police said top Lashkar commander Abrar Nadeem Bhat, involved in a number of killings, was arrested from Srinagar on Monday. Bhat alias Khalid was active in the Central Kashmir region since 2018.

Kashmir police chief (IGP) Vijay Kumar said, “It is a big success for us.” He, however, didn’t reveal further details of the arrest. Vijay Kumar had recently said that security forces will soon neutralise Abrar, who was suspected to be involved in the attack on the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) at Lawaypora on March 25.

Three CRPF jawans were killed in that attack carried out on Srinagar-Baramulla national highway and their rifle was also snatched. The rifle was later recovered from the possession of a terrorist earlier this month after three militants were killed during an encounter in Sopore.

On March 26, police had also arrested local resident Muzaffar Ahmad Mir and his timber business partner Javeed, alleging they had helped Abrar Nadeem Bhat carry out the Lawaypora attack as overground workers.

IG Vijay Kumar then said that Javeed had confessed to his role in the attack after he was arrested with his vehicle, in which few empty cartridges were found.

“We have arrested both OGW’S and an operation was launched at two places to arrest Nadeem Abrar Bhat and two foreign terrorists who were involved in the attack. They will be neutralised soon.” IG Kumar said on March 26.