Jammu 14 May : Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday arrested two individuals for allegedly providing logistical support and shelter to foreign members of militant outfit Jaish-e-Muhammad’s Saifullah group in Kishtwar district, officials said.
The arrested persons were Mashkoor Ahmed, a resident of Beighpora Singhpora who worked as a government school teacher, and Maneer Ahmed, a resident of Bandeyan Naidgam.
The arrests came as part of the authorities’ ongoing efforts to dismantle the militancy network in the region. On February 22, the Army gunned down three militants of Jaish-e-Muhammad’s Saifullah group in Chatroo. The group had been operating in the upper reaches of the Kishtwar-Doda belt.
“In a decisive operation against anti-national elements, police have arrested key accused providing aid to foreign millitants at a hideout in the Singhpora-Chatroo area of Kishtwar,” a police spokesperson said.He said the arrests were made during an operation in connection with a case registered at Chatroo police station in March.
The case was filed under Sections 61(2) (criminal conspiracy), 109 (attempt to murder), 147 (rioting) and 148 (armed with deadly weapon) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Sections 13 (punishment for unlawful activities), 16 (punishment for millitant act), 18 (conspiracy, preparation for millitant act), 19 (punishment for harbouring millitants ) and 20 (punishment for being member of millitants organisation) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and the Arms Act.
Kishtwar Senior Superintendent of Police Naresh Kumar said investigations led to the arrest of Mashkoor Ahmed, who was employed as a teacher in the School Education Department.He said the accused was directly involved in facilitating a hideout for foreign militants in the Singhpora area of Chatroo, thereby providing logistical assistance to militant operatives active in the region.
He said Maneer Ahmed had been arrested earlier for similar offences.
Police said further investigation is underway to detect and dismantle the wider network involved in supporting militant activities in the district.
Reiterating its “zero-tolerance policy against terrorism and supporters of terrorism”, police warned of strict action against individuals found aiding anti-national activities.
According to security forces, six Pakistan-backed militants were killed in Kishtwar-Udhampur in February this year.
