Srinagar: Four days after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) made a major breakthrough in the Pulwama terror attack case over a year after the bombing, arresting one person who provided shelter to the suicide bomber Adil Ahmad Dar, the probe panel Tuesday arrested two more people in the case, sources said.
An NIA source related to the probe said, “Two more persons have been arrested by the agency in the Pulwama terror attack case. A father-daughter duo has been arrested from Lethpora area for their involvement in the attack. The arrested accused are Tariq Ahmad Shah and Insha Tariq.”
The two were arrested early Tuesday morning after senior officials of the NIA raided their house Monday night. The arrests were made on the revelations by Shakir Bashir Magrey, who was arrested by the anti-terror probe agency February 28.
The source, however, did not disclose on what charges they were arrested. He further said that more arrests will be made in the coming days.
Magrey, a resident of Hajibal, Kakapora in Pulwama district of Jammu & Kashmir, is an over ground worker (OGW) of the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror group.
According to agency sources, Magrey allegedly provided shelter and other logistical assistance to the Pulwama suicide bomber. He was sent to 15 days’ NIA custody by a special NIA court Friday.
During interrogation, Magrey revealed that he had harboured Dar and Pakistan-based terrorist Mohammad Umar Farooq in his house from late 2018 till the attack in February 2019 and assisted them in the preparation of the Improvised Explosive Device (IED). His shop is located near Lethpora bridge and as advised by Farooq, he started conducting reconnaissance of the movement of CRPF convoys on Jammu-Srinagar Highway in January 2019, and informed Umar Farooq and Dar about it.
Magrey was also involved in modifying the Maruti Eeco car and fitting the IED into it in early February, 2019 and was introduced to Dar in mid-2018 by Farooq and he became a full-time OGW of JeM.
“During his initial interrogation, he disclosed that on several occasions, he collected and delivered arms, ammunition, cash and explosive material to JeM terrorists, including those involved in the Pulwama attack,” the agency had said February 28.
“During investigation, the make, model and number of the car used in the attack was quickly ascertained by NIA to be a Maruti Eeco through forensic examination of the tiny remnants of the car which were found at the spot during extended searches,” the agency stated.
Sources said that after the attack a video of Dar was released by the JeM from Pakistan after the terror attack. They said that video was filmed at the residence of Tariq and Insha.
The terror attack led to a war-like situation between India and Pakistan. India’s retaliatory air-strike a few days later supposedly left more than 250 Pakistani terrorists dead.
Agencies
