The National Investigation Agency on Friday arrested two more persons, including the one who procured chemicals online for making the Improvised Explosive Device that was detonated during the suicide bomb attack on soldiers in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir last February, PTI reported.
At least 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel were killed in the February 14, 2019 attack, which was claimed by Jaish-e-Mohammad. The Indian Air Force in retaliation bombed an alleged Jaish-e-Mohammad camp in Balakot in Khyber Paktunkhwa province of Pakistan.
An unidentified official of the National Investigation Agency said the organisation arrested Waiz-ul-Islam, 19, of Srinagar’s Bagh-e-Mehtab locality and Mohammad Abbass Rather, 32, of Hakripora village in Pulwama district.
Islam told the National Investigation Agency that he used his Amazon online shopping account to procure chemicals for making IEDs, batteries and other accessories necessary for the attack, the official said. Islam also claimed he had been working on the instructions of Jaish-e-Mohammad operatives.
Rather is an overground worker of the Jaish-e-Mohammad. He asserted that he provided shelter to Jaish leader and IED expert Mohammad Umar in April-May 2018 at his home. Rather also sheltered suicide bomber Adil Ahmad Dar, Sameer Ahmed Dar and Kamran, a Pakistani, the official said. He also facilitated safe shelter for accused Tariq Ahmed Shah and his daughter Insha Jan of Hakripora. The duo were arrested on March 3.
The official said Islam and Rather will be produced before a special National Investigation Agency court on Saturday.
Last week, the NIA arrested 22-year-old Shakir Bashir Magrey for providing shelter and other logistical assistance to Dar. Officials said Magrey was introduced to Dar in 2018 by Pakistani terrorist Mohammad Umar Farooq and later became a full-time overground worker for the outfit.
During the initial interrogation, Magrey had revealed that on several occasions he collected and delivered cash, arms, ammunition and other explosive material to various JeM terrorists, including those involved in Pulwama attack. He also provided information to the terrorists on the movements of the CRPF.
Earlier in February, reports said that an NIA court had granted bail to Yusuf Chopan, an accused in the Pulwama attack, because the agency failed to file a chargesheet in time, and admitted that it did not have evidence. However, the NIA denied this, claiming that the bail was granted to Chopan in another terror conspiracy case.
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