Police on Thursday said it arrested a “hybrid militant” affiliated with The Resistance Front outfit, a shadow affiliate of the Lashkar as per police in the Hajin area of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district.
A police spokesman said that Shabir Ahmad Dar, a resident of Chandergeer Hajin, was arrested by Bandipora police and 13 RR at a checkpoint at Check-Chanderger Hajin.
The checkpoint was established following inputs about “suspicious movement of TRF terrorists in Chandergeer Hajin”.
“While searching pedestrians and vehicles, one suspected person tried to conceal his presence on seeing the Naka party, who was tactfully apprehended and on his search, 01 Chinese grenades were recovered and on his further disclosure 01Chinese Pistol, 01 Pistol Magzine, 04 Pistol Rounds and 02 more Chinese hand Grenades were recovered, ” police said.
As per police, the accused was “working on the directions of handlers across the border, Lala Umar and Huzaifa” and was in touch with slain militant Abbas Sheikh and active militant Basit. Dar, police said, was assigned the task of reviving local militancy in Bandipora district, particularly in Hajin after there was no local active militant left in the Hajin area after the killing of LeT militant Saleem Parray.
Police further said that Dar was working for the LeT outfit on the directions of LeT operatives, namely Bashir Puji, who is currently in jail and Muzaffar Nata, killed by the security forces.
The accused was arrested in 2017 “for his involvement in subversive activities and proximity with the LeT commanders in the Hajin area at that time, ” police said.
While in jail, he was motivated by some LeT militants, who were lodged with him to revive TRF/LeT by way of local recruitment once he is out of jail, it said. “Soon after he started subversive activities, he was apprehended before he could do any further damage to peace and tranquillity by way of motivating local youth to join militant ranks”.
A case FIR has been registered in police station Hajin, and further investigation was taken up.
