Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday claimed to have arrested four militants responsible for the killing of three civilians in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district last month.
In a statement, a police spokesman said that the militants were arrested following days of searches in the area.
“Multiple parties of Police, Army and CRPF were launched in the area in multiple directions to track the culprits. The whole area from Hajibal forest area to Drangbal stone quarries including Kirmani Colony Drangbal were put under continues surveillance for many days,” he said.
The spokesman said that an operation was launched in Hajibal-Drangbal forest area after suspicious movement was observed.
He said that the hiding militants fired at a forces’ party that approached them. “One militant was overpowered and captured alive in live action in injured condition. The militant was immediately given medical treatment and the hideout in which four militants had been hiding was busted,” he said, adding that arms and ammunition were recovered from the hideout.
“One more militant Bilal Ahmad Najar aka Sameer S/O Gh. Ahmad Najar R/O Banglow Bagh Baramulla was apprehended near cremation ground of Sikh Community located in the same area being overpowered by teams of Police Army and CRPF.”
The spokesman said that the involvement of Lashkar-e-Toiba militant outfit was established in the killing of three civilians during the questioning of the accused.
He said that three militants, identified as Suhaib Akhoon, Aijaz Gojree and Bilal Najar, shot the three civilians dead.
“All the weapons of offence, i.e. 02 AK rifles and one pistol have been recovered and empty cartridges recovered from the scene of crime have same markings as of those of live cartridges recovered from the apprehended militants and their hideout,” he said.
The spokesman said the militants fled from the scene in a car provided by a Baramulla resident.
“During sustained interrogation of these arrested militants, the Police and SFs were also able to unearth an LeT module operating in Sopore-Baramulla belt and in all 4 active militants of the LeT militant organization have been apprehended along with 06 other Over Ground Workers (OGWs),” he said.
On April 30, bullet-riddled bodies of three civilians, Asghar Khan, Asif and Haseeb Khan of old town Baramulla, were recovered.