Jammu: A powerful IED was recovered from a nursing student near a crowded bus stand in Jammu on Sunday. The recovery of the explosives averted a major incident and the terrorists’ plot to explode on the second anniversary of the Pulwama attack failed. A police officer said that the student and three others have been arrested. According to officials, the famous Raghunath temple of Jammu was also on target.
Jammu Range Inspector General of Police (IG) Mukesh Singh said that six pistols and 15 small IEDs have been seized from Samba district in a separate operation. “In the last four days, we were on high alert because there was general intelligence that the terror groups were in the grip of a major blast in Jammu city on the second anniversary of the Pulwama attack,” he told reporters. Security at all important places was beefed up and investigations intensified. ‘
Nearly seven kilograms of IED were recovered
Singh was accompanied by Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh. They said that a young man was found suspiciously walking with a bag in the bus stand area. About seven kilograms of IEDs were recovered from him. However, the explosive was not activated yet.
Was working at the behest of Pakistani masters
The IG has identified the accused as Suhail Bashir Shah, a resident of Neva village in Pulwama, who is pursuing a nursing course from a college in Chandigarh. His bosses affiliated with the terrorist organization Al Badr, who were based in Pakistan, had given him the task of having an IED in Jammu. He said, “He was given four targets including (famous) Raghunath Temple, bus stand, railway station and Lakhdata Bazar and he had to fly to Srinagar by a flight after completing his work.”
Singh said that Athar Shakeel Khan, an active member of Al Badr, used to come to take him to Srinagar airport. Khan has been arrested. The IG said, ‘His fellow student from Kashmir, Qazi Wasim, was aware of the scheme and has been detained from Chandigarh, while another of his associates Abid Nabi has been arrested from Srinagar.’
Bomb Idle Squad is investigating IED
He said that the bomb dormant squad is investigating the IED and it is not clear whether RDX has been used to make the equipment. However, he said that due to the recovery of the IED on time, a major incident in the Jammu region has been averted. Singh said that in another successful operation, the police seized six pistols, large quantities of ammunition, and 15 small IEDs while patrolling the Jang area of Ramgarh in Samba district on the intervening night of 13 and 14 February.
