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Hyderpora terror strike: 2 Lashkar men held
Azhar Qadri/TNS

Audacious Attack June 24, 2013: A two-member Lashkar squad attacks an Army convoy in Hyderpora on the eve of PM Manmohan Singh's visit to the Valley killing eight soldiers and injuring 16 The arrested: Naveed-ul-Islam of Mochwa area of central Kashmir's Budgam district and Bilal Ahmad Lone of the town’s Chanapora locality Their role: They took Kashmiri militant Irshad Ahmad Ganai alias Abu Abdullah and Pakistani militant Abu Hamza alias Zeeshan to Hyderpora in Lone's car on June 24 and provided them logistics to carry out the attack The mastermind: Abu Qasim, Lashkar's divisional commander for south Kashmir; he was following directions of two of the outfit’s Pakistan-based commanders

Srinagar, September 20
The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Friday claimed to have cracked the Hyderpora militant attack case and arrested two accomplices of the Lashkar-e-Toiba militants who struck an Army convoy on the eve of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to the Valley in June killing eight soldiers. The two were arrested on charges of criminal conspiracy and providing logistical support to the militants.

Naveed-ul-Islam of Mochwa area of central Kashmir's Budgam district and Bilal Ahmad Lone of the town’s Chanapora locality were arrested by the police during the investigation into the attack.

They accompanied the two-member Lashkar squad on June 24 and provided them logistics to carry out the attack at Hyderpora on the city’s outskirts, Inspector General of Police (IGP) for Kashmir region Abdul Gani Mir told reporters here.

"The Jammu and Kashmir Police have cracked the Hyderpora incident in which Lashkar militants attacked a convoy and killed eight jawans. We have arrested two persons who provided not only logistical support, but were also accompanying the terrorists," Mir said.

Naveed-ul-Islam, who runs a madrassa at his native village, was in contact with Abu Qasim, a top militant commander, for the last two years, Mir said. "Although he was not involved in any incident previously, he had accompanied them," the IGP said.

Mir said Naveed-ul-Islam and Lone were “part and parcel of the conspiracy”. The officer said the two Lashkar attackers -- Kashmiri militant Irshad Ahmad Ganai alias Abu Abdullah and Pakistani militant Abu Hamza alias Zeeshan -- were taken to Hyderpora in Lone's car.

Eight soldiers were killed and 16 were injured on June 24 when two militants attacked an army convoy near Hyderpora on the city’s outskirts. The attack was carried out on the eve of the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to the city.

Both militants fled the scene after intercepting the Army convoy and spraying it with bullets and grenades.

Abu Qasim, Lashkar's divisional commander for south Kashmir, had masterminded the attack that was carried out on the directions of the outfit’s Pakistan-based commanders Hanzallah Adnan and Ahmad, the top police officer said.

"We have identified some other persons also who provided logistic support. The investigation is on," Mir said.

The IGP said one of the two attackers, Abu Hamza, is a Pakistani militant and had moved into south Kashmir last October along with nine militants.

Mir said Abdullah Haroon, another Pakistani militant who was part of the group of 10 who shifted to south Kashmir from north Kashmir last year, was killed in Shopian this month.

Four people were shot dead by CRPF personnel on September 7 in Shopian district, of whom three were identified as civilians. The police suspected the fourth was a militant. “Every bit of evidence has substantiated that (he is Abdullah Haroon) and it has been confirmed by our sources in various places and also identified by various persons," the IGP said.

Mir said the police were investigating the circumstances in which the other three people were accompanying the Lashkar militant. "Let me tell you, they were not on an excursion along with a Lashkar militant (Abdullah Haroon)," the IGP said.