Arms dropped by drones, NIA conducts raids in four districts

Jammu, August 18

The NIA on Thursday conducted raids at multiple locations in Jammu, Kathua, Samba and Doda as part of its probe into a case related to recovery of arms and ammunition which were dropped through drones controlled from Pakistan along the international border.

Sources said the NIA team raided the residence of Faisal Muneer, the main accused in the drone dropping case, who was arrested last month. The police have made several arrests in the recent months.

Militant worked for Let, Al-Badr

• Mohammad Ali Hussain, alias Qasim, alias Jehangir, was taken to the Arnia sector to recover arms dropped by Pak drone but was killed by security men when he “snatched a cop’s rifle and opened fire”.
• Hussain worked for LeT as well as Al-Badr, the police say. An AK-47 rifle and two grenades have been seized.

On Wednesday evening, a jailed Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorist was shot dead and a police constable sustained injuries when the former was taken to the international border in Jammu for recovery of weapons dropped by a drone from Pakistan. A huge cache of arms and ammunition was seized.

The deceased, Mohammad Ali Hussain, allegedly snatched a cop’s rifle and opened fire at the police team. During the encounter, he was killed. Jammu ADGP Mukesh Singh said the name of Pakistani terrorist Mohammad Ali Hussain, alias Qasim, alias Jehangir, lodged in the Kot Bhalwal jail in Jammu, surfaced during a probe related to dropping of weapons by a drone in Arnia on February 24.

“An accused revealed that Hussain, an operative of the LeT as well as Al-Badr, had been instrumental in drone droppings. He was taken on police remand from the Kot Bhalwal jail and, during interrogation, he admitted his role in the Arnia weapon droppings. He also disclosed two locations where arms and ammunition had been buried,” the police said.

A police team, along with the magistrate concerned, went to the spot and found a packet containing explosives, arms and ammunition in Toph village near the border in Phallian. “When the packet was being opened, the terrorist attacked a cop and snatched his rifle. He fired at the police party and tried to flee. In retaliation, the accused got injured. He was shifted to the GMC in Jammu along with the injured police constable. The terrorist succumbed to his injuries later,” said the ADGP.

An AK-47 rifle, an AK magazine, 40 rounds, one pistol, two pistol magazines, 10 rounds and two grenades have been seized.

Also a man has been detained in connection with a suspected terror-financing case, the ADGP informed. Sources said the man was detained at the Jammu bus stand with Rs 10 lakh cash.