The police have zeroed in on the operational commander of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) Abu Dujana as the brain behind the Pampore fidayeen (suicide) attack, which left three soldiers dead in a 48-hour gun battle inside a government building on February 20.
The police investigations suggest that Dujana personally “supervised” the attack and ferried the militants from north Kashmir to south Kashmir in the second week of February.
Investigations suggest that a “big group” of militants was involved in the attack. The group first opened heavy fire at a CRPF bus on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway near Sempora, injuring around nine personnel, and a splinter group of three militants stormed the multi-storey Entrepreneur Development Institute (EDI), killing two special forces officers.
Confirming to The Hindu about Dujana’s role, Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Syed Javaid Mujtaba Gillani, said: “Dujana is behind the attack. We have been able to identify how the militants were ferried from north Kashmir to south Kashmir in February itself. He has been behind several big attacks in the Valley since 2011.”
No fresh infiltratorsThe police ruled out that the group comprised fresh infiltrators. In fact, these LeT militants had crossed the Line of Control in October last year and stayed in north Kashmir’s Bandipora districts. They were suspected to have engaged the Army in Bandipora in more than two encounters. They have been in the upper reaches during winter and were tasked by Dujana to reach south Kashmir,” said Mr. Gillani.
Abu Dujana was also the brain behind the Hyderpora attack , which left nine soldiers dead, and the Silver Star attack, where an attempt was made to storm a hotel frequented by tourists.
A cash reward of Rs. 8 lakh had been announced to nab him.
