Sopore police crack IED blast incident in Bandipora, 2 hybrid militants arrested

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Police on Monday said that it cracked the recent IED blast incident in Kehnusa village of Bandipora district by arresting two hybrid militants from Sopore area of North Kashmir.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sopore, Shabir Nawab while holding a press conference at Police Hqrs in Sopore said that two Lashkar-e-Toiba hybrid militants were arrested from Watlab area of Sopore on Monday morning.
The SSP said, that the duo were apprehended on the basis of specific inputs generated by the Sopore police. “Three IEDs with detonators were also recovered from them, thus averting a major tragedy”, the SSP said.
Officials identified the duo as Irshad Ahmed Ganaie alias Shahid son of Sonaullah Ganaie and Waseem Raja son of Ghulam Mohd Lone – both the residents of Kenusa, Bandipora.
Notably, on October 27, a low intensity blast occurred at Kehnusa, Bandipora wherein no casualties were reported in the incident.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Police in statement issued on Monday said that acting on specific information, a special checkpoint was established by police near Watlab Crossing in Sopore. During checking a suspicious person carrying a white coloured bag coming from Bandipora towards Watlab was signalled to stop. However, the said suspicious person tried to flee from the spot but he was tactfully apprehended by the alert police party.
“On search, 02 IEDs were recovered from the white coloured bag he was carrying. He has been identified as Irshad Ahmad Ganie alias Shahid son of Sonawallha Ganie resident of Kehnusa Bandipora,” it reads.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused person is a hybrid militant linked with LeT militant outfit. On his further disclosure, another hybrid militant identified as Wasim Raja Lone son of Ghulam Mohd Lone resident of Kehnusa Bandipora was arrested from whose possession one more IED was recovered, the statement reads further.
During further questioning, the arrested duo revealed that they had planned and executed the IED attack in the Kenusa area of Bandipora on 27/10/2022, the police said.
With the arrest and recovery of three IEDs, Police said it averted a possible major tragedy as the arrested accused were planning to carry out more IED blasts.
In this regard, a case FIR no 251/2022 under relevant sections of law has been registered and further investigation is in progress, ends the statement