NIA digs out clues on car, explosives
NEWDELHI: Investigators probing the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 troopers died are trying to piece together various disparate clues that have emerged in the investigation as they seek to trace the origin of the vehicle and the explosives used in the attack.
According to senior investigations involved in the probe these clues largely pertain to the vehicle, the nature of the explosive or explosives used, and the detonating mechanism.
The spot of the February 14 attack at Lethpora has been forensically examined by the National Security Guards, the army, and the Jammu and Kashmir police. National Investigation Agency sleuths have also been involved in the investigation are now questioning local police as they try and recreate the timeline of the attack and the events leading up to it.
The investigators, none of whom wished to be identified, said pieces of at least two cannisters have been recovered from the spot, and hypothesized that the bomber was carrying the RDX explosive in one cannister and incendiary material such as petrol in the second, so as to create a fire-bomb effect and maximise casualties. NSG experts have found traces of smoke in the remains of the CRPF vehicle, but admit that this could also be due to a fire from the diesel tank of the bus. Fire has been used to maximise casualties by Pakistanbased groups — in the 2016 Uri attack by physically setting the Army mess on fire and in the 2007 Samjhuata train attack by using propane filled cans.
According to a Central Reserve Police Force trooper in the bus following the ill-fated vehicle, a white Maruti Eeco van hit the bus from the left side after overtaking the following vehicle and then detonated. “There was no ready forensic evidence to come to any certain conclusion as the fire service hosed the spot to extinguish flames engulfing the vehicle,” said an investigator.
They are also working on three different hypotheses: One possibility is that the device triggered on impact with the targeted bus; another is that the device was detonated by the lone wolf; and third that the device was detonated by remote control by a handler.
According to Avinash Mohanney, an ex-ib officer and an Islamic militancy expert , there have been instances where a suicide bomber chickens out at the last moment and thus the jihadi handler always keep the remote option available. This option may been exercised in case of JEM suicide attack on Chinar Corps headquarters in 2000, he added.
However, in case of Pulwama attack, the jihadist knew that he was on a suicide mission and had already been filmed giving his last message by his Jaish e Mohammed handlers. The remote control detonation option cannot be ruled out, though, investigators say, especially because a key JEM module headed by Kamran stayed in the vicinity. The Kamran module was exterminated within 100 hours of the attack by security forces.
NIA FILES FRESH CASE
NIA chief Yogesh Chander Modi on Wednesday visited the scene of last week’s attack on the CRPF convoy as the central counterterrorism agency registered a fresh case in connection with the assault, an official statement said.
The police had registered a case in connection with the attack on Thursday last week before the Centre handed over the probe into the assault to NIA on Tuesday. The NIA re-registered the case on Wednesday, the counterterrorism agency said in the statement. The statement added Yogesh Chander Modi visited the scene along with a team of top officers. “He was briefed by the officers about the progress made in [the] investigation so far.”