A day before the first batch of Amarnath pilgrims leaves for Kashmir from the base camp here, in a major achievement the police have arrested two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists who were involved in triggering multiple explosions in the border district of Rajouri and had also received large quantity of IEDs from Pakistan for exploding these in other places.

Among the three terrorists named in these explosions, Talib Shah, who is the LeT commander of general area Rajouri, is absconding whereas two others, Mohammad Shabir and Mohammad Sadiq (both residents of Budhal) have been arrested, said the ADGP Jammu Mukesh Singh.

The police have announced suitable rewards for anyone who shares credible information leading to the arrest of Talib Shah. The arrest of Talib is very crucial in solving many militancy and criminal cases that have occurred during the past few years in the Peerpanjal area, the ADGP said.

The group was tasked by their Pakistani handlers to revive terrorism in the border district of Rajouri and they indulged in twin blasts in the border town of Kotranka on 26 March and 19 April in which two persons were injured. Another blast took place in Shahpur, Budhal on 24 April in which 2 more persons were injured.

Working on leads, joint teams of Rajouri Police and Army’s 60RR (14 Sector) conducted multiple raids and search operations at various locations in Larkoti, Targain, Jaglanoo and Draaj areas of District Rajouri and apprehended two suspects namely Mohammad Shabir and Mohammad Sadiq who were involved in these incidents.

These individuals working on the directions of their Pakistan-based handlers received weapons, ammunition, explosives and later used these IEDs to trigger blasts. It has surfaced during preliminary investigation that this group is headed by Talib Hussain Shah and had collected three consignments of arms, ammunition, explosives from the Lamberi-Kalakote area in the months of January, March and April.

Talib is the mastermind of all terrorist activities in Peerpanjal area. He has also motivated many youth for carrying out terror activities in Rajouri. Shabir and Sadiq were also motivated by Talib to conduct terror activities. Talib has remained instrumental in almost all terror incidents in Peerpanjal districts in last three years.

It has also come to fore that this group was also sheltering a few Kashmir-based active terrorists of LET outfit in general area Kandi-Budhal and were making efforts to revive militancy in Peerpanjal Districts.

During preliminary questioning, the arrested accused disclosed that they had hidden some explosive materials in Jungle in the Draaj area. During searches of the area the Police and 60 RR recovered 5 IEDs, 5 remote control, 19 power source cells and 10 fuses.