Eight suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba militants accused of threatening and intimidating locals were arrested from south Kashmir’s Sopore town on Monday, NDTV reported, quoting police. The arrest came two days after four civilians, including a minor, were injured in firing by militants in Dangerpora area of the town.
Those arrested were accused of preparing threatening posters and distributing them in the locality. The militants were identified as Aijaz Mir, Omar Mir, Tawseef Najar, Imtiyaz Najar, Omar Akbar, Faizan Latief, Danish Habib, and Showkat Ahmad Mir.
Police also found computers and other material used for making the posters. Investigation is going on, police said. Preliminary inquiry has reportedly revealed that three of the eight militants led the rest to execute the plan to intimidate the locals.
Posters from other militant groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammad have also begun to appear outside local mosques allegedly attempting to deter locals from resuming normal activities, News18 reported. A few masked men also appeared in some mosques located in Srinagar and Sopore, warning people not to go back to their daily activities.
Police had described the attack on Saturday as a “merciless act of terrorism”. The militants reportedly attacked civilians for defying their warnings to shut shop to protest Centre’s decision to withdraw the state’s special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution.
The attack came days after the Indian Army had warned that Pakistan has stepped up attempts to push as many terrorists as possible into Jammu and Kashmir. The Army said that they caught two Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists during one such attempt last month.
Prohibitory orders in Jammu and Kashmir are being lifted gradually but the communications blockade remains in most parts of the state.
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Curfew-like restrictions reimposed in Kashmir for Muharram
Authorities reimposed curfew-like restrictions on Tuesday in several parts of Kashmir to thwart any attempts to organise Muharram processions, PTI reported. The Lal Chowk area and other nearby localities were cordoned off with concertina wires at the entry points along with deployment of a significant number of security personnel, unidentified officials said.
Officials reportedly decided to reimpose restrictions to prevent violence from breaking out due to large gatherings. The processions were banned in the state since 1990 with the rise of armed insurgency.
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