Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir police on Friday said that it has arrested three militants who it believes are involved in Krishna Dhaba attack within 48 hours.
A police statement issued on Friday said “ three militants identified as Suhail Ahamad Mir son of Fateh Mohd Mir resident of Dangerpora Nowgam, Owais Manzoor Sofi son of Manzoor Ahmad Sofi resident of Dangarpora (occupation butcher) and Vilayat Aziz Mir son of Abdul Aziz Mir resident of Hanipora Wampora Pulwama were on Friday arrested”, stating therein that “ Owais Manzoor was previously involved in case FIR No 46/2018 under section 148, 149, 336, 152 RPC of PS Nowgam. The case was challaned on 4/12/2018 at district & sessions judge Budgam”.
Stating that on 17th of this month the European delegation was on a day visit, police in it’s above referred statement said “ Lashkar e Toiba (LeT) through its new modus operandi of floating new militant outfit and revival of some old names in an attempt to disrupt the ongoing peaceful atmosphere in valley choose a soft target, a famous food outlet Krishna Dhaba and attacked its inmates to unleash a regin of fear among the non locals living in valley and to disrupt the tourist activity which has seen an upsurge from past two months as the food out let is very famous and popular among the tourists visiting the valley”.
Revealing that after the attack Srinagar police with the help of CCTV footage and Technical assistance started working on certain leads and after hectic efforts on technical and human intelligence zeroed on certain clues and tied up with district police Pulwama and district Police Anantnag, the police in it’s statement further said “on the basis of intelligence, many suspected spots were raided by the joint team of Srinagar and Pulwama police which led to arrest of Vilayat Aziz Mir son of Abdul Aziz Mir resident of Hanipora Wampora Pulwama. Similarly by another joint team of Srinagar and Anantnag police various suspected spots were raided in Anantnag district, which led to the arrest of Suhail Ahmad Mir son of Fateh Mohd Mir and Owais Manzoor Sofi son of Manzoor Ahmad Sofi, both residents of Dangerpora”.
Stating that during further course of investigation, it was learnt that Vilayat was in contact with one Gazi, an active militant and trained him locally a month before, police in it’s statement said that he performed the recce of Dalgate Durganag area along with other terrorist associates ten days prior to attack.
Disclosing that on 17th of this month the trio on the bike of Suhail Ahmed Mir son of Fateh Mohd Mir resident of Dangerpora, at around 7:15 reached Krishna Dhaba and fired indiscriminately on the staff, injuring critically Aakash Mehra S/O Ramesh Kumar Mehra, police in it’s statement further said “militant outfits have adopted new strategies by recruiting local youths who are in their teens and allowing them to mix up with the family friends and live normally and training them for a day or so. They are given task by their masters and in case they get caught a public opinion be generated that they were not active militants and joined only on the day of incident”.
Police in it’s above referred statement also said that the arrest of involved trio and recovery of weapon of crime (pistol) and grenade along with other incriminating material including bike used by militants within hours of attack is a big success for Jammu and Kashmir police, stating therein that “trio during interrogation have confessed their involvement in the crime. A case has already been registered in this regard under relevant sections of law and further investigation is on”.
