JAMMU: In a significant counter-insurgency operation, the Jammu and Kashmir Police said they have successfully dismantled a terror module operating in the Samba-Kathua sector, leading to the arrest of nine individuals accused of aiding Pakistani infiltrators. The group was allegedly responsible for facilitating the movement of militants from the International Border to the upper reaches of Udhampur, Kathua, and Doda districts.
The kingpin of the module, Mohammad Lateef alias Haji Lateef, a resident of Ambe Naal in Kathua, was identified as the key facilitator, according to the details published in major newspapers. He is accused of providing shelter to infiltrators in remote dhoks (temporary shelters) after they infiltrated from Pakistan. Lateef’s activities came under scrutiny following the elimination of three militants in the Gandoh area of Doda district and two more in Hiranagar. These militants were reportedly sheltered by Lateef before their encounters with security forces.
According to police officials, Lateef had been absconding since the Hiranagar operation but was apprehended as part of the ongoing investigation. The police have said they conducted a thorough investigation, questioning over 50 residents living in the mountainous dhoks used for grazing livestock. Some of these individuals were found to have provided food, shelter, or communication assistance to the militants. However, only a few failed to report their contact with the militants to the authorities, with some even accepting money for their assistance. Those who reported the encounters promptly are being treated as innocent.
The investigation revealed that Lateef and his associates played a crucial role in receiving the infiltrators after they infiltrated India from the Samba-Kathua sector. The module provided initial shelter, food, and logistics before guiding the militants to the upper reaches of Udhampur, Kathua, and Doda districts, particularly around the Kailash mountain, which serves as a tri-junction for these regions.
The other arrested individuals have been identified as Akhter Ali, Saddam, Kushal, Noorani, Maqbool, Liaquat, Kasim Din, and Khadim, all hailing from Kathua district. Their roles ranged from providing logistical support to serving as guides for the terrorists as they moved through the area undetected.
Police officials disclosed to the newspapers that the module was busted based on leads from central intelligence agencies following the killing of three foreign militants in Doda’s Gandoh area last month. During interrogation, the arrested members confirmed their involvement in aiding the militants, including those responsible for the killing of five Army soldiers, including a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO), in Badnota, Kathua, on July 8.
The security forces have intensified combing operations across the region to apprehend any remaining militants. As part of the efforts to capture or neutralise these assailants, sketches of over half a dozen militants have been released, and a cash reward of Rs 5 lakh has been announced for information leading to their capture.
Reports said the arrested people are being booked as enemy agents.
