J&K POLICE SAY AMARNATH CASE SOLVED, 3 HELD

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir police on Sunday said the July 10 attack on Amarnath pilgrims was carried out by four Lashkar-eTaiba (LeT) militants, including three Pakistanis, and there was a “criminal conspiracy” behind it. It made the disclosure after arresting the Pakistan-based terror outfit’s three “over-ground workers (OGWs)”, who allegedly provided logistic support to the four attackers.

SRINAGAR: Three over-ground workers for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) have been arrested for providing logistical support in the attack on Amarnath pilgrims on July 10 that left eight dead, police said on Sunday afternoon.

Inspector general of police, Kashmir range, Muneer Khan told the press in Anantnag that four LeT militants — three Pakistanis and a Kashmiri — had carried out the attack, which led to the widespread condemnation across ideological divide in J&K.

The IG identified the militants as Ismail, Maviya, Furqan (Pakistan) and Yawar Bashir, a local.

Khan said the three arrested Bilal Reshi (a shopkeeper), Aizaj Ahmed Wagey (a medical representative) and Zahoor Ahmed Sheikh (an ad-hoc state road transport corporation driver) helped the militants with logistical support like a place to stay, two four-wheelers (a Santro and an Alto) and a motorcycle to recce the area and carry out the attack and escape, and worked as the militants’ guides. The three were produced before court and are currently in police remand.

Bilal’s elder brother Adil, an alleged Lashker-e-Taiba terrorist, was killed by security forces earlier this year.

“The militants had the code word of ‘Bilal’ for a CRPF vehicle and ‘Shaukat’ for an Amarnath Yatra vehicle,” Khan said.

Khan said an attack was initially planned for July 9 but was aborted as no CRPF or yatra vehicle was moving “in isolation” in Botengoo that evening.

Police said had a CRPF vehicle travelled through that area on July 10, it would have come under attack too as the militants had intended to attack either a CRPF or a yatra vehicle.

KHAN SAID THE THREE ARRESTED HELPED THE FOUR MILITANTS WITH SUPPORT LIKE GETTING THEM A PLACE TO STAY