NIA applies brakes on JeM expansion plan

New Delhi, Apr 26: The National Investigation Agency has arrested two more persons in connection with a Jaish-e-Mohammad terror conspiracy case.

The NIA arrested JeM terrorists Tanveer Ahmad Ganie and Bilal Mir, both residents of Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir.

The NIA court has granted seven days custody of the two accused persons. The NIA says that investigation had disclosed the duo were in touch with one Sajjad Ahmad.

Ahmad was tasked with strengthening the base of the JeM in J&K. They were told to recruit more persons into the outfit and carry out attacks.

This development comes in the wake of the top leadership of the Jaish-e-Mohammad asking its over ground workers in Jammu and Kashmir to go on a recruitment spree and also set up as many launch pads as possible.

After suffering heavy losses in the wake of its commanders being killed in encounters, the JeM leadership wants to start afresh in the Valley. There is a directive by the leadership to look for more recruits. Further the terror group is also planning large scale infiltrations, a top counter terror officials informed OneIndia.

The downfalls of the JeM had begun in December 2018 itself. Although it struck back with the Pulwama attack, the fact is that many part of the top leadership in the Valley have been killed.

The forces had in December managed to bust two important modules of the JeM in Tral and Khrew Pamper.

The busting of these two modules was extremely crucial. These were the primary modules of the Jaish which were launching a series of attacks in the recent past. There was a surge in terror activity in both these areas.

Following this a special team was constituted to probe cases which involved attacks on both security forces and civilians. The police say that with these modules being busted, they have managed to clear the Jaish of from Khrew Pampore and Tral.

The Jaish, which had witnessed a surge in the Valley over the past year, has been facing considerable losses over the past month and a half. Last week, Waseem, a Jaish terrorist from Pakistan was killed in an encounter. Another Jaish terrorist, Suhail Ahmed Lone was arrested following an encounter.

In October, it may be recalled the security forces had carried out a successful operation in which the nephew of the Jaish chief was killed in an encounter. The security forces gunned down Jaish terrorist Usman Haidar, who was the nephew of the outfit's chief, Maulana Masood Azhar. Another terrorist of the same outfit, identified as Showkat Ahmed was also killed the encounter at the Tral area of South Kashmir.