Sopore Attack: Six LeT associates detained, two militants involved identified, says SSP Sopore
Sopore: Jammu and Kashmir police Saturday said that the militants and OGWs involved in the March 29 Sopore attack which led to the death of two councilors and a policeman have been solved with the arrest of six Lashkar-e-Toiba associates while the two militants involved in the act have been identified.
The Sopore attack was carried out on 29 March last month in which a policeman (SPO) and a Councilor died on the spot during a scheduled meeting while another councilor succumbed to the injuries the next morning
Addressing a news conference, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sopore Sudhanshu Verma said that the security forces have worked together in this case and it’s an ongoing process while a lot has been done in this regard already that led to the arrest of six militant associates and identification of militants involved.
About the sequence of events, the SSP said that two militants carried out the attack identified as Mudasir Pandith, a local militant active since 2019, and a foreign militant Asrar but the names continue to change.
He said that before the attack day on 25th April both the militants met Ashiq Pandith who is the relative of Mudasir from Dangerpora and stays at his residence for four days
He said that they received instructions from a Pakistan-based Handler Sajad about the attack and accordingly Mudasir activated his Over Ground Worker (OGW) network and Sajad as well.
“They tasked few men to check the area and prepared video and sends the video to them with the position of rooms while Ashiq also visits the attack spot”, the SSP said.
The SSP said that the two militants left the house of Ashiq on 28th April and stayed at the house of Feroz Bhat an Over Ground Worker (OGW) for 28 and 29th intervening nights while the network was activated in the morning.
“Another Over Ground Worker (OGW), Shakir provided logistic support to them and provided them a Bike to carry out the attack who is also a relative of Mudasir,” he said.
The SSP said that on the day of the attack, they first sent two persons Junaid Shusha and Syed Imran for the recee of the area including the number of policeman and councilors present at the event.
“The two militants involved including Mudasir and foreign militant went inside to attack the feedback from two of their associates while they escaped in no time after immediate retaliation”, the SSP maintained.
He maintained that in this particular case, technical avoidance has been used and on that basis, Ashiq was the first to be detained which led to the involvement of others in this attack.
“Evidence used include, Technical Human inputs, CCTV footage, and confessions and a total of 6 LeT militants have been arrested in this case”, the SSP informed.
He assured that the two militants including a local and foreign are either killed soon or made to surrender.
Meanwhile, a police spokesman in statement issued here said that police busted the network involved in the militant attack of 29th March 2021 by apprehending the OGW’s and seizure of the Vehicle/Bike used in the attack.
The spokesman said that On 29th March, After the killing of two Municipal councillors and a Police Man Multiple CASO’s were launched by Sopore Police along with other security forces at suspected locations Dangepora, Brath Kalan ,Sidiq Colony Sopore, Model Town , Batpora. “Various suspects were picked up for the questioning and during questioning one suspect OGW namely Ashiq Ahmad Pandith of Dangerpora revealed that the terrorists namely Mudasir Pandith alias Maaz along with foreigner namley alias Asrar before terror attack had stayed at his residence from 25-03-2021 to 28-03-2021and had planned the whole attack”, the spokesman said.
He said that further during questioning the name of another suspect namely Junaid Ah Shusha of Model Town Sopore came to fore. He disclosed that he came in contact with Mudasir Pandith alias Maaz in the month of November 2020 at the residence of his cousin, Umair Ashiq in Model Town Sopore . Mudasir Pandith alias Maaz along with his two foreign militants alias Ahmad and alias AbuSariya stayed for the night on instructions of Sayeed Imran, an OGW of LeT outfit.
