Srinagar, Feb 14 (KNS):  Police today claimed arrest of chief commanders of two separate militant outfits including The Resistance Front (TRF) and Lashkar-e-Mustafa in the past few days across the UT.

Addressing a presser in Jammu, DGP , Dilbag Singh said arrest of two chief commanders of TRF and Lashkar-e Mustafa were result of successful operations.

He said that  Lashkar-e-Toiba created an outfit by the name of The Resistance Front while Jaish-e-Mohammad created Lashkar-e-Mustafa to carry out militant activities.

Singh said that the major operations of areests were carried out by the Anantnag police and Jammu police. 

He said that the militant outfits operating in Pakistan are trying to give new faces to militant outfits in J&K and from the last several months two new groups were floated by the name TRF and Lashkar-e-Mustafa.

He said that TRF is being run by Lashkar-e-Toiba while the militant outfit Lashkar-e-Mustafa is being run by Jaish-e-Mohammad  to carry out militant activities outside  Jammu and Kashmir also.

"thechief commander of Lashkar-e-Mustafa, Hidayatullah Malik  was active from the last few months, was arrested by the police. He was OGW for a long time and later became active to carry out militant activities sponsored by Jaish-e-Mohammad,." DGP said.

He termed the arrest as a major success for the security forces and there has been major revelations by the Hidayatullah during interrogation.

According to KNS correspondent, he said another major success one more chief commander of another militant out TRF being run by Lashkar-e-Toiba, Zahoor Rather alias Sahil and Khalid was also arrested. 

Singh said that Zahoor was arrested during an operation on the intervening night of 12 and 13 February. “Zahoor was active for a long time and was a trained militant. He was leading TRF. He was also working as an OGW. In 2002 he was working with Hizbul Mujahideen,” he said.

Singh said that Zahoor remained active for 5 years and later surrendered in 2006 and he again became active in 2009 and in 2009 his handlers sitting in Pakistan knew his potential.
He said that Zahoor was running TRF in Jammu and Kashmir and was involved in killing 3 BJP leaders in Kulgam last year.

Singh said that intensive questioning of Zahoor Ahmad is going on and it is expected that some more breakthroughs will take place trough Zahoor. 

Meanwhile, IGP Jammu range said that they have been on high alert for the last three days as there were inputs that on the anniversary of Pulwama attack militants groups may carry out some major attack in Jammu Bus stand.

He said that based on these inputs checking points were established at critical points and last night a person namely Suhail was found roaming suspiciously in the area.

“He was carrying a bag. One being questioned and checking of the bag around 6.5 KG IED was recovered which was not active. During questioning he said that he was a student if nursing college and was studying in Chandigarh. He was tasked by Al-Badr handlers in Pakistan to place this IED one of three places including Raghunath Mandir, Railway station and Jammu bus stand,” he said.

He said that on further questioning Sahil revealed that after placing the IED he was supposed to take a flight to Srinagar and he was to be received by a high ranking OGW of Al-Badr, Shakeel Khan at Srinagar.

“After meeting Shakeel Khan he was supposed to became an active militant. This was his planning. Another person in Chandigarh was also in the know-how of this planning".

He has also been picked up from Chandigarh and has been identified as Qazi Waseem and there is another person Abid Nabi associated with this outfit. He has also been arrested,” he said. IG said that by his arrest and by the recovery of this IED a major tragedy has been averted (KNS)