Two Pakistani Lashkar militants, on the run for 16 years, have been arrested during a weeks-long joint probe by Jammu and Kashmir police and central agencies.
Their three alleged Kashmiri associates were also arrested, the police said on Tuesday.
Police officers said they had busted a major inter-state Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) module and apprehended the five in searches conducted in Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab.
The officials identified the lead catch as Pakistani militants Abdullah alias Abu Huraira and Usman alias Khubab, both listed militants in Jammu and Kashmir belonging to the A+ category.
An official said the two were evading arrest for 16 years and had set up bases outside the Union Territory. “They were living the lives of ordinary citizens, sometimes engaging in menial jobs, outside J&K and managed to forge documents to avoid suspicion,” an official said.
The official said three Srinagar residents — Mohammad Naqeeb Bhat, Adil Rashid Bhat and Ghulam Mohammad Mir — have been arrested for allegedly providing logistical support, including shelter and food, to militants.
Officials said they conducted searches at 19 locations in the four states and recovered a large quantity of firearms, including four AK assault rifles and incriminating material, from their possession.
The police brass, led by director-general of police Nalin Prabhat, are personally monitoring the operation, they said.
Officials also said that the two infiltrated India about 16 years ago and remained active in the Valley for years. They would also move to other states, sometimes for prolonged periods. “They
handled the infiltration of
dozens of militants and issued directions to them. Most of them have been killed,” the
official said.
The police said they could bust the network after arresting a Srinagar resident who offered leads about two others.
“It is how the two Pakistanis were tracked down. Part of the probe is a disturbing revelation that a foreign terrorist managed to travel outside the country on the basis of forged documents and the help of the Lashkar-e-Toiba network in other states,” he said.