Udhampur attack: How the terrorists were ferried

Udhampur, Oct 16: Shabzar Ahmed Bhat who was arrested recently by the National Investigation Agency has revealed that he reported to Abu Qasim, the mastermind of the Udhampur terror attack.

The hunt for Qasim is still on and the NIA says that they are confident of nabbing him.

Qasim has proved to be a very dangerous operative of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba who is able to micro manage with ease plots and plans leading up to deadly terror strikes in Jammu and Kashmir.

The interrogation of Ahmed Bhat who is in NIA custody has thrown up a lot of new factors relating to the Udhampur attack.

He has revealed in detail the manner in which he had helped transport the two terrorists Mohammad Naved and Abu Noman to Udhampur where the terror attack on the BSF convoy took place on August 5 2015.

A journey overnight

Prior to the arrest of Shabzar Ahmed, the NIA had arrested Fayaz Ahmed Ashwar. While Ashwar drove the truck carrying the two terrorists, Ahmed accompanied them.

Ahmed says that they began their journey on August 4 from Khudwani. It was afternoon when we began our journey, Ahmed told the NIA.

After reaching Kud district we spent the night in the truck itself. The next morning we reached Narsoo Nalla on the Srinagar-Jammu highway at 7 AM.

We dropped off Noman and Naved at Narsoo Nalla. They then carried out the attack. Both Ashwar and I left the place and continued out journey towards Jammu.

More information needed

The NIA is looking for more information from Ahmed on the planning and execution of the attack.

However the bigger challenge for the NIA is to put an end to the cat and mouse game that Abu Qasim has been playing with them.

He has come close to being nabbed several times, but has always managed to give the security forces the slip.

Qasim is originally from Pakistan, but has been operating in Jammu and Kashmir since 2011. He specifically handles the local units of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba and has been responsible for a spate of attacks in the Valley.

The NIA says that it is doing its best to nab the rest of the persons involved in the Udhampur attack.

Currently including Abu Qasim, there are three more persons the NIA is looking out for and has even announced rewards for any information leading up to them.

The NIA also says that it will file a chargesheet soon in the case.

There is some more interrogation of the accused left in the case and once that is completed, we will file the chargesheet, the NIA officer part of the Udhampur probe informed.

OneIndia News