Cop arrested for militant links in Kashmir

Tipped off by an arrested Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) commander, Jammu and Kashmir Police have arrested a cop in North Kashmir’s Sopore area for allegedly having links with the terror outfit.

Police have seized an AK-47 rifle, 150 rounds of ammunition and a pressure mine from arrested cop Hilal Gul.

Gul, who is a part of the Indian Reserve Police 18th Battalion, was arrested following a disclosure made by former LeT divisional commander Qari Naveed alias Fahadullah, who was captured by the police last month.

“Gul was working for Fahadullah and was posted at a vital installation in the police department at the time of his arrest. The cop was working with LeT from 2006, and investigations are going on to find his other involvements,” sources said.

A senior police official said Gul was earlier working with the topmost LeT commander Furqan, who was operating in the Sopore area of North Kashmir two years ago. “Fahadullah’s arrest led to major success against LeT in the Sopore area. Around two dozen militants and Over Ground Workers of LeT were arrested,” he said.

He added that the arrest of Fahdullah and the subsequent arrests of OGWs are a major success for the police, because the OGWs provide logistic support for militants who try to infiltrate into Kashmir.

Despite repeated attempts, Superintendent Police Sopore wasn’t available for comment.