Police said the “militant module” was working at the behest of Dr Asif Maqbool Dar and Sajjad Gul, both Kashmiris, presently living in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, respectively.

SRINAGAR — The Jammu and Kashmir police on Thursday claimed to have arrested two militants and two “Over Ground Workers” in Kashmir’s capital city Srinagar.

The arrested militants have been identified as Suhail Qadir Khanday, son of Ghulam Qadir Khanday, a resident of Tral in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, and Suhail Mushtaq Waza, son of Mushtaq Ahmed Waza, a resident of Nikloora village in Pulwama district.

Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Central Kashmir Range, Sujit Kumar, said that militants carried out an attack on December 22, last year and killed a property dealer Rauf Ahmed in the Safakadal area of the capital city.

“After the incident, Police started an investigation into the killing and during the course of the investigation, movement of some suspects was detected in Srinagar City. Based on further analysis and credible human intelligence, Srinagar Police detected suspicious movement of militants in Bhagat Barzulla area [sic].”

He said that police, along with paramilitary CRPF, laid “special Nakas” and apprehended two militants of ‘proscribed’ militant organization’s The Resistance Front (TRF) and MGH. The police said that these organisations are offshoots of Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Muhammad. “During the search, two pistols along with two pistol magazines and 30 pistol bullets were recovered on spot [sic].”

On further questioning of the militants, police said incriminating material, arms and ammunition including 2 pistols, 6 pistol magazines, 69 rounds, 2 pistol silencers have been recovered from their hideout in Srinagar city. “So far 4 pistols, 08 pistol magazines, 99 live rounds, 2 pistol silencers have been recovered in the case.”

The DIG said that the arrested militants further identified two associates; Basit Bilal Makaya son of Bilal Ahmed Makaya, a resident of Qamar Abad Qamarwari and Naikoo Imad Nasar, son of Farooq Ahmed Bhat, a resident of Kiloora Shopian, who were operating with them as OGWs.

“Both associates have been arrested. In this connection, Case under FIR No 08/2021 of Saddar PS under sections 7/25 of the arms act and sections 18.23 of UAP Act has been registered in PS Saddar.”

The police officer said that during questioning, the arrested militants disclosed that they were operating in Srinagar city on the directions of Asif Maqbool Dar, a resident of MIG Colony Bemina, presently living in Dammam Saudi Arabia and Sajjad Gul, a resident of HMT Parimpora, presently living in Pakistan.

“Both the handlers from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan were providing weapons and money through a network of OGWs being identified. This module has also done recce of security installations like NIA office, Delhi Police Headquarters and shared same with handlers in Pakistan.”

He said that as per the investigation, the targets in the city for killings were also selected and conveyed to them by Dr Asif and Sajad Gul. “Suhail Qadar Khanday was working in Suadi Arabia with Dr Asif Dar and in August 2021 on the direction of Dr Asif he came back and started working as an operative of TRF/MGH/for coordinating the collection of Arms/Ammunition, money and militant attacks in Srinagar.”