Police claims breakthrough in tourist attack cases in Kashmir

Srinagar, Sep 13 (UNI) The Jammu and Kashmir police today claimed to have achieved another breakthrough when they arrested four Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) cadres involved in recent grenade attacks on tourist vehicles in Awantipora, in which several lives were lost.

A police spokesman identified the arrested as Tariq Ahmad, Parvaiz Ahmad Lone, Liaqat-ul-Islam Lone and Umar Wani, all residents of Awantipora in Pulwama district of south Kashmir.

Three Chinese hand grenades were seized from their possession.

He said all of them were working under the then LeT district commander of Shopian, Abdul Hai alias Khubaid alias Saad, who was eliminated in a gun-battle in south Kashmir some time ago.

''It was under his direction that these cadres lobbed a grenade on a tourist vehicle at Chursoo in Awantipora area on July 30 in which a woman and her two children lost their lives and four tourists were wounded,'' the spokesman added.

In another incident on August 5, he said these four again lobbed a grenade on a tourist vehicle at Awantipora bus stand, which missed its intended target and exploded on the roadside, causing injuries to seven pedestrians.

''They became active and were directed by their commander to establish a module in Srinagar to carry out terror attacks in the city. But, before they could succeed in their nefarious designs, the four LeT cadres were apprehended,'' the spokesman said.

UNI