The three militants, who stormed the Sunjuwan Army camp in Jammu, had crossed the Line of Control (LoC) in August last year, a senior Home Ministry official said on Tuesday. All three were residents of Pakistan and they were active in South Kashmir’s Tral disrict, he said.
Army is yet to call off the operation as combing operations are underway.
The three have been identified as Kari Mushtaq, Mohammad Khalid Khan alias Rashid Bhat, and Mohammad Adil alias Bhat. The official said the accused belonged to Pakistan-based terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) would take over the probe of the Sunjuwan Army camp attack, the official added.
Given shelter, support
Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) DGP S.P. Vaid meanwhile said the attack couldn’t have been possible without “local help.”
“Some over ground workers provided them shelter and support. They were guided till the Army camp. Whether they had any local support after they reached is yet to be ascertained,” he said.
The Home Ministry official said there were three terrorists who had entered the camp and they were eliminated.
No Guru links?
Unlike the past, no “bits of paper” were found on the killed militants claiming they were from the Afzal Guru squad of JeM. Guru, convicted for his involvement in the attack on Parliament in 2001 was hanged to death on February 9, 2013. Security agencies had sounded a high alert last week for February 9 and February 11 — the day Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front founder Maqbool Bhat was hanged in Tihar jail in 1984.
“There was no paper found on the militants. They had been in India for the past few months but the attack coincided with the death anniversary of Guru and Maqbool Bhat. JeM has been carrying out attacks to avenge Guru’s hanging,” the ministry official said. Six army personnel and a civilian were killed in the attack.
“The Army is yet to hand over the bodies of the slain terrorists to the police. We have begun our investigations but NIA will soon take over,” he said.
Rajnath lauds
Home Minister Rajnath Singh conveyed his best wishes to Rifleman Nazir Ahmed’s wife, who delivered a healthy baby after being hit by a bullet in the attack and hailed her courage. On behalf of the Home Minister, Special Director of the CRPF S.N. Srivastava presented a bouquet to Shehzad Khan at a hospital in Jammu.
Mr. Singh also lauded the courage shown by the woman and conveyed his blessings for the new-born. The Home Minister has also praised the efforts of the doctors and the medical staff of the Army hospital in Jammu.
