Key aide of slain Lashkar militant held

The J&K police arrested a close aide of slain Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Naveed Jutt from central Kashmir’s Ganderbal on Thursday.

“Based on credible inputs, a joint team of the Srinagar and Ganderbal police arrested an active terrorist of LeT from the Kangan area of Ganderbal,” said a Srinagar-based police spokesman.

The militant was identified as Zubair Shabir Bhat, a resident of Malpora Qazigund. “Affiliated with LeT, Bhat was a close associate of terrorist commander Naveed Jutt, alias Hanzalla; and Umar Rashid Wani, alias Abu Haadi,” said the spokesman.

Jutt was killed in an operation on November 28 in Pulwama. “Bhat was also wanted by law for his complicity in a series of terror crimes. He was involved in several conspiracies of weapon snatching and other crimes, including threatening of candidates fighting panchayat and urban local body elections in Anantnag and Kulgam districts,” said the police.

Bhat also planned attacks on the security establishments in the area, including attacks on local police personnel, the police added.

“A huge quantity of incriminating material has been seized from Bhat. A case under relevant sections of law has been registered. His complicity in other terror crimes is also being investigated,” said the police.