Narwal blast case cracked, govt teacher working for LeT held

Arjun Sharma

Jammu, February 2

A government teacher, Arif, has been arrested for planting two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Narwal area of Jammu that went off on January 21, injuring nine persons, most of whom were employees of vehicle workshops. The IEDs were dropped onto this side of the border through a drone from Pakistan. Besides, his involvement in several blasts in the past one year has come to light, the police said.

A resident of Reasi district, Arif started working for Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terror outfit three years ago when he came in contact with a terror handler, Kasim, who belongs to Reasi but fled to Pakistan years ago. Arif’s maternal uncle Kamar Din is also based in Pakistan and it was through him that he came in contact with Kasim. He belongs to the module of a terror recruiter, Talib Hussain, who was arrested in July last year after locals in a Reasi village captured him.

DGP Dilbag Singh said two bombs were planted on January 20 evening which went off next day. “The time gap between both the blasts was to inflict major damage on security personnel who were supposed to reach there after the first explosion. The target of the first bomb was local traders. But the police followed the standard-operating procedure due to which the entire area was sanitised and minimal damage was inflicted,” the Director General of Police said.

He said Arif’s interrogation suggested that he had been working for handlers in Pakistan for the past three years.

Arif is behind the IED blast in Shastri Nagar of Jammu in February last year and also the blast in a bus in Katra, carrying Vaishno Devi pilgrims, in May last year, killing four persons and injuring many, the police said.

An IED placed in a perfume bottle, first-of-its kind, was also recovered from Arif which has never been used by any terror outfit. The IED goes off once a user presses the spray button. Arif used to get cash after planting IEDs. The accused had burnt his clothes, shoe and even his mobile phone after planting bombs in Narwal to destroy the evidence. The police were able to trace him with the help of electronic evidence and CCTV footage.

Arif is the second government employee to be arrested for terror activities in two days. Among the three persons arrested on Wednesday for planting two IEDs in Rajouri district was Majid Dar, a government servant.

Sources said Dar’s father expired a few years ago after which he was given job on compassionate grounds. They informed that Dar’s activities were suspicious as he was reportedly a drug addict. He had planted the IED in Kheora area very close to his house.

A military intelligence official said many modules had been created by Pakistan handlers in different parts of Jammu division which are unaware of each other.

“Even if one module is busted, the other starts working. We are noticing this pattern for the past sometime,” he added.

Planted bombs in bus

• He was behind an IED explosion in Jammu’s Shastri Nagar area in February last year besides two explosions in Narwal on January 21 this year that left nine injured.
• He also planted two bombs in a bus carrying Vaishno Devi pilgrims on May 13 last year, killing four persons and injuring many.
• His handlers asked him to do recce of crowded areas to choose his next target, the police say.

Explosives delivered through Pak drones

The IEDs which Arif used to trigger blasts were dropped by drones from Pakistan. He came in contact with Lashkar terrorists three years ago through Kasim, a resident of Reasi, who is in Pakistan.