New Delhi: Even as the Lashkar-e-Taiba keeps throwing up names of its proxies, investigating agencies have zeroed in on the outfit’s role in both the attacks – of November 11 and August 1 – in J&K’s Kulgam this year.
Both attacks were carried out by the Lashkar, and the outfit tried to pass them off in the name of the Resistance Front, the Pasdaran-e-Hurriyat Kashmir, and the Kashmir Revolutionary Army. The CRPF personnel who were present at the time of the attack have been able to confirm that it was Mohammad Lateef Bhat, a Lashkar operative, who carried out the attack.
An official said that there are similarities between the Kulgam attacks that took place in Mir Bazar on November 11 and the Killam area on August 1 this year. Both these attacks were carried out by Bhat along with his accomplices. Bhat is central to the investigation as his name has cropped up in several investigations off late, the official said.
During the ongoing probe, the investigators have recovered a Motorola mobile phone and SIM card from the site. The cartridges that are being examined reportedly match those found at the scene of the earlier attack in Killam, the official said.
Following the attack, a massive manhunt has been launched to find Bhat, who is said to be hiding somewhere in south Kashmir. Bhat, who is also responsible for the attack that took place in Anantnag in which Head Constable Ashiq Hussain was killed, is said to be in touch with foreign terrorists who are active in the region. He works in close coordination with the foreign terrorists, officials say.
Another official said that the role of the overground workers (OWGs) has come into focus again. Many OWGs have been rounded up, but there are some active and are providing assistance to these terrorists. These OWGs are suspected to have provided Bhat and his associates with information about the exact movement of the security forces, and this helped them carry out the attack.
Post the November 11 attack, several OWGs were questioned and subsequently released. Investigators sought information regarding the support links that the Lashkar operatives have in the Valley, the official added. While several have been questioned, investigators are verifying the role of three OWGs who may have provided vital information to the Lashkar terrorists.
Officials say that while investigators are trying to gather more information regarding the attack, they are also focusing on unearthing the larger OWG network. The same network had provided Bhat vital information that led to the Anantnag attack and Killiam strike in which migrant workers were targeted. The ultimate goal is to see the end of Bhat, and all efforts are on to eliminate him.
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An Intelligence Bureau official said that the OWG networks have largely been busted in the Valley. However, with the assistance of the ISI, newer ones crop up, and the process to identify them is ongoing. Post the Pahalgam attack, the ISI had dismantled several OWG networks, as many persons had police files on them. The ISI uses either money to lure people into becoming OWGs or threatens them and their family members, the official said.
With the role of Bhat being confirmed by the investigators, the focus would also be on calling out the Lashkar’s bluff. The outfit, which is the ISI’s most valuable asset, has been floating names of various proxies in the last couple of years. While this acts as a diversionary tactic and confuses investigators, it also provides the Lashkar with the deniability factor. The Lashkar is under immense international scrutiny and hence would not want its name cropping up in attacks that are carried out in India.
Meanwhile, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) visited the attack site on Thursday and collected evidence that has now been sent for forensic examination. It has been learnt that there were at least three terrorists, including Lateef Bhat, who were involved in the attack. Officials say that the three included two foreign nationals.
The probe so far confirms the role of Bhat and two foreign terrorists who are behind the latest attack. Further, the agencies have also been able to zero in on the direct role of the Lashkar, while also confirming that the new names in circulation are just proxies of this terror outfit. It would now be crucial to find the OWGs linked to this attack and also hunt down Bhat so that similar attacks can be prevented in future, an official said.
