Two most wanted LeT terrorists overpowered by villagers; handed over to police in Reasi

LG announces Rs 5 lakh, DGP Rs 2 lakh cash rewards for brave villagers

STATE TIMES NEWS

JAMMU: Two heavily-armed and most wanted Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists, including the mastermind of the recent IED blasts in Rajouri, were overpowered by villagers and handed over to the police in Reasi district on Sunday, a senior police officer said.
Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and Director General of Police Dilbag Singh lauded the villagers for their courage and announced cash rewards for them.
The incident took place in Tuksan Dhok village and the captured terrorists included the most wanted LeT commander Talib Hussain, a resident of Rajouri district and the mastermind of the recent IED blasts in the district, the officials said.
Today, villagers of Tukson Dhok showed extreme courage in apprehending two most wanted terrorists of LeT who had reached the area to take shelter after continuous pressure from the police and army (in Rajouri district), Additional Director General of Police, Jammu zone, Mukesh Singh said in a statement here.

Cong, BJP slugfest after arrested terrorist linked to saffron party
JAMMU: A political slugfest erupted between the BJP and the Congress in Jammu and Kashmir after a top Lashker-e-Taiba terrorist, overpowered by locals and handed over to the police, was reported to be an active member of the saffron party who was recently selected as its IT and social media cell in charge of the Minority Morcha in Jammu province.
As the news about villagers overpowering Talib Hussain Shah and handing him and his associate Faisal Ahmad Dar to the police surfaced, purported pictures of Shah with JK BJP chief Ravinder Raina and his participation in party functions emerged on social media.
The pictures included the one where Raina was presenting him a bouquet and a letter issued by party leader Sheikh Bashir, assigning him the responsibility of new IT and social media incharge of Minority Morcha (Jammu province) on May 9
While Raina dismissed the presence of Shah in his party as a “conspiracy hatched by Pakistan to target him and the party headquarters”, Pradesh Congress Committee chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma said the ruling party should answer to the nation the alleged presence of terrorists in their ranks and holding important party positions. This is a second incident within two days where it has been alleged that terror accused had links with the BJP. The two people arrested in Udaipur were alleged by the Congress to have links with the Saffron party.
While lauding the people for assisting police in capturing the two most-wanted LeT terrorists, JK BJP chief said “they were part of a conspiracy hatched from Pakistan to target him and the party headquarters”.
“He introduced himself as a journalist and took my interviews several times at my party office sometime back. He developed close liaison with party activists and leaders after coming to our headquarters (Trikuta Nagar Jammu),” Raina told PTI.
Raina claimed that he came to know from the security agencies that Shah was a mole planted by Pakistan-based terrorists to target BJP headquarters and the leadership including him.
“The arrest of the duo is a big success for the security forces as a major conspiracy of Pakistan has been thwarted. I also came to know that he had shared the pictures of the BJP headquarters with his handlers across the border,” he said.
Raina said terror organisations, frustrated by BJP’s expansion in Jammu and Kashmir, have repeatedly threatened him over in the past many years and since they failed to target him, they hatched a conspiracy to plant their activist in the BJP to target him and other leaders of the party.
However, he said BJP is determined to wipe-out Pakistan-sponsored terrorism from Jammu and Kashmir and “we will not be cowed down by threats or conspiracies”.
The BJP chief claimed he was also told by the security agencies that Shah was keeping a close watch on his movement in the twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch and was passing the information to his handlers in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
“I have full faith in the training, ability and courage of our police and security forces who are determined to root out terrorism. With the arrest of Shah and his associate, the Pakistani conspiracy to target me has failed,” he said.
Reacting strongly, the Congress chief spokesperson said “this is for the first time that such a thing had happened (when an office bearer of a party is directly involved in terrorism.”
“BJP should answer to the nation about the presence of terrorists in their ranks holding important party positions. It is a very serious matter and a threat to the security of the nation,” he said.

He identified the other captured terrorist as Faisal Ahmad Dar of south Kashmir’s Pulwama, and said two AK assault rifles, seven grenades, a pistol and a huge quantity of ammunition were recovered from the two arrested terrorists.
Singh said the Lt Governor has applauded the courage of villagers and announced a cash reward of Rs five lakh for their bravery, while the Director General of Police announced a cash reward of Rs two lakh for them.
“I salute the bravery of villagers of Tukson Dhok, Reasi, who apprehended two-most wanted terrorists. Such determination by common man shows end of terrorism is not far away. UT Govt to extend Rs five lakh cash reward to villagers for gallant act against terrorists and terrorism,” the office of LG tweeted.
The arrest of the duo followed unearthing of a module headed by Hussain in Rajouri district on June 28, which was behind the recent series of explosions in the district.
While two terror operatives of the outfit were arrested along with five Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), Hussain was on the run and had moved to nearby Reasi district to escape the dragnet of security forces.
Hussain was in constant touch with LeT terrorist Qasim based in Pakistan and was involved in at least three cases of IED blasts at Rajouri district besides civilian killings and grenade blasts, Singh said.
During preliminary questioning, he said it was revealed that both the terrorists were also in touch with a Pakistani LeT handler Salman.
Terming the arrest of the two terrorists as a major breakthrough, the officer said they were attempting to revive terrorism in the border districts of Rajouri and Poonch besides Reasi.
Twin explosions rocked Kotrana town of Rajouri on March 26 and another on April 19, leaving two persons injured.
Two more persons were injured in another blast that took place in Shahpur-Budhal area of Rajouri on April 24.