After hearing an October 2018 Azhar speech, Dar offered himself as Pulwama bomber

New Delhi, Aug 26: The Jaish-e-Mohammad did not have to look for a suicide bomber for the Pulwama attack as Adil Ahmed Dar had offered himself much before the plan was finalised.

It was in October 2018 following the killing of Usman Haider in an encounter with the Indian security forces, JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhar gave a speech calling for the martyrdom of Kashmiris.

Dar had decided after the speech that he would be available as a suicide bomber whenever the JeM needed him, an NIA officer told OneIndia.

The main accused, Mohammad Umar Farooq also visited Afghanistan for explosives training in 2016-17. He infiltrated into India through International Border at Jammu-Samba Sector in April, 2018 and took over as Jaish-e-Mohammad Commander of Pulwama. Mohammad Umar along with his Pakistani compatriots viz. Mohd. Kamran, Mohd. Ismail alias Saifullah and Qari Yasir and local associates, Sameer Dar and Adil Ahmad Dar planned and prepared for the attack on security forces using IEDs.

Accused Shakir Bashir, Insha Jan, Peer Tariq Ahmad Shah and Bilal Ahmad Kuchey provided all logistics and harboured the JeM terrorists in their houses. From December, 2018 onwards, Shakir Bashir started doing reconnaissance of the movement and deployment of security forces on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.

Mudasir Ahmad Khan arranged Gelatin sticks and handed them over to Shakir Bashir. RDX was brought by the Pakistani terrorists who infiltrated into India. Shakir Bashir collected the explosive material i.e. RDX, gelatine sticks, Aluminium power and Calcium-Ammonium Nitrate and stocked them at his house for making the IED.

In January 2019, Sajjad Ahmad Bhat purchased a Maruti EECO car for the purpose of carrying out the IED attack. The car was kept in the front-yard of Shakir Bashir's house. Waiz-Ul-Islam ordered 04 kgs of Aluminium powder from his Amazon account on the directions of accused Mohd. Ismail and gave the same to him, the NIA also said.

Towards the end of January 2019, Mohammad Umar Farooq, Sameer Dar and Adil Dar made the propaganda video clip of the suicide attack at Insha Jan's house which was released immediately after the attack.

In the first week of February 2019, Mohd. Umar Farooq, Sameer Ahmad Dar, Adil Ahmad Dar and Shakir Bashir made the IED using RDX, Calcium-Ammonium Nitrate, Gelatin Sticks and Aluminium Powder and assembled it in two containers, one weighing around 160 Kgs and the second one weighing around 40 Kgs.

The two IED containers were fitted in Maruti EECO car and were ready by the morning of 6th February 2019. However, because of heavy snowfall, the National Highway got closed for the vehicular movement.

On 14th February 2019, as the National Highway opened, Shakir Bashir drove Adil Ahmad Dar till National Highway, after which Adil Ahmad Dar took charge of the vehicle and drove on to the National Highway and carried out the suicide attack by ramming the Maruti EECO car laden with 200 Kgs of high- grade explosives into a bus of the CRPF convoy, resulting in 40 CRPF personnel getting martyred and damage to the tune of Rs.32,90,719/- to public property.

Investigation has revealed that the Pakistan-based JeM leadership comprising Masood Azhar, Rouf Asgar and Ammar Alvi were continuously giving directions and guidance to the Pakistani JeM terrorists (who had infiltrated into India) both before and after the attack. They had also planned to carry out another suicide attack which got averted due to Balakot strikes and due to killing of main conspirator Mohd. Umar Farooq by the security forces. Further, due to international pressure, Pakistan lay low, the NIA also said.

Investigation also revealed a well-crafted mechanism by Pakistani establishment to push terrorists into the Indian territory from the launch pads located in Shakargarh (Pakistan) opposite Samba-Kathua Sector in Jammu.

The NIA chargesheet against 19 accused persons marks the culmination of year and a half long painstaking and meticulous investigation with valuable inputs received from other Central and State government agencies as well as foreign law-enforcement agencies.

A lot of digital, forensic, documentary and oral evidence establishing a fool-proof case against the accused of this dastardly and barbaric attack has been collected. The charge-sheet has brought on record the all-out involvement of Pakistan-based entities to carry out terrorist strikes in India and to incite and provoke Kashmiri youth.