Large cache of arms, ammunition recovered from Keran area: SSP Sopore, Officials say it was a major bid to revive militancy in area, lace youth with weapons
Tasaduq Hussain
Sopore : Security forces on Monday claimed to have recovered a huge quantity of arms and ammunition from in Keran area of Kupwara district of north Kashmir and termed it as a bid by Laskar-e-Toiba to float new outfit and to lure youth towards militancy. Six Lashkar associates were associated as well by the police.
According to Wire service—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), an official said some suspects were arrested in recent days from Sopore, who after sustainable interrogation revealed the location of earthed arms and ammunition in an offsite area of Keran sector in Kupwara district.
An official, wishing anonymity, said that in recent days Sopore police arrested some suspects on inputs of providing logistic support, trafficking arms and ammunition from other side of the LoC to northern belt of Kashmir to expand the grounds of banned militant organisation Lashkar.
“After the arrest of some suspects from parts of Sopore, they on being given sustainable interrogation revealed their links and the arms and ammunition they had received from other side of the LoC (Pakistan) supposed to be used in northern belt of Kashmir,” the official said.
He said that a team of Sopore police communicated the same details with Kupwara police who were joined by army after which forces jointly launched a search operation in the woods of Keran sector, during which huge quantity of arms and ammunition was recovered. The recoveries include eight AK-47 riffles, 25 Magazine, 750 rounds nine Pistols and nine magazines, 77 Grenades and 21 detonators.
Confirming the arrests and recovery to KNO, SSP Sopore Javaid Iqbal said that they have detained four persons from Sopore and other two were arrested from Kupwara. “Large quantity of arms and ammunition was recovered as well,” he said.
“Those arrested were identified as, Ahtisham Farooq son of Farooq Ahmad, Shafqat Tagoo son of Murtaza Tagoo, Nisar Ahmad son of Muhammad Akbar and Musaib Hassan Bhat son of Gh Hassan all the residents of Sopore,” a police official said. The other two arrested from Kupwara were identified as Bashir Lone, a resident of Keran putting up as tenant at Tikker, Kupwara ,Sharafat Khan son of Lal Badshah Khan a resident of Keran who were the main accused who provided the illegal material to the Sopore residents.
Meanwhile, police in its statement termed the development as a huge success stating that it was a big jot for Lashkar in Sopore as the outfit was trying to revive militancy.
During preliminary interrogation they revealed that they are in contact with Pakistan based Let
Handler, who has deputed them for recruiting local youths for militancy activities in Sopore area. The main purpose of the group was to revive LeT militant organisation and to accumulate Arms & Ammunition for arming newly recruited militants and to go for target killings in order to develop fear among general public, the statement said. It said that so far six arrests have been made in this regard and further investigation is underway—(KNO)
