Terrorist Naved’s partner had developed cold feet

They were part of a four-member LeT group, which had crossed over to the Valley from Gulmarg sector in June and were heading towards Bari Brahmana in the neighbouring Samba district, where a market frequented by <g data-gr-id="33">Armymen</g> was to be targeted. An Army installation is also nearby.

Naved and Abu <g data-gr-id="32">Okasa</g> were approaching their target on the outskirts of Jammu on July 20.

Suddenly, Abu (17), a resident of Khyber Pakthunwa in Pakistan, started crying and developed second thoughts on the mission he was supposed to carry out.

These details have emerged during the interrogation of Naved and corroborated by truck driver Khursheed Ahmed, who had ferried them to Bari Brahmana, official sources said. The truck driver has also been arrested.

The area to be attacked was the marketplace and an adjoining Army installation, but Abu started crying and was shaking in fear, the two told the police, adding that the plan was aborted and they returned to the Valley.

Besides Abu and Naved, the other two who had infiltrated with them have been identified as Zhargham, alias Mohd Bhai, and Mohammed Noman, alias Momin, who was Naved’s partner on August 5 and was killed in retaliatory fire by BSF jawans. Two BSF personnel were also killed in the attack. 

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh each on Abu and Zhargham.

Abu was handed over to Abu Qassim, a Pakistani national who is self-styled commander of <g data-gr-id="41">Lashker</g> in South Kashmir, and there was no information about him thereafter, they said. The NIA has announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh on Qassim’s arrest.

The NIA, which is probing the case, was handed over three GPS recovered from a hideout in <g data-gr-id="43">Tral</g> by the Army and two smartphones that gave away the <g data-gr-id="45">over ground</g> network of <g data-gr-id="44">Lashker</g> terror outfit in South Kashmir. 

The GPS was carried by the team of which Naved was a part and he told his interrogators that they deleted all the points entered in the device, which is used by travellers while trekking, sources said. Naved, who has been subjected to a lie-detector test, recorded his confessional statement before a magistrate last week.