J&K police confirms LeT's role in Amarnath yatra attack

Three persons who provided logistical support to militants arrested: IGP

Jammu and Kashmir police Sunday said that Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit was responsible for July 10 terror attack on a bus carrying Amarnath yatries in Batengo area of Srinagar-Jammu national highway which left eight pilgrims dead.

"The Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to probe the attack has arrested three persons who provided logistical support to LeT terrorists. These men had provided terrorists with vehicles and shelter," Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Munir Ahmad Khan said while addressing a press conference.

The three identified by the the IGP as Bilal Reshi, Aijaz Wagey and Zahoor Ahmed had carried out reconnaissance exercises and chosen Botengo near Khanbal as the spot where the attack could be carried out. "The trio had also provided shelter to the four militants in Khudwani and Sriguffwara of south Kashmir," Khan said.

Bilal's elder brother Adil, a Hizb-ul-Mujahideen militant, was killed by security forces in January this year. The IGP said it would not be right to call the arrested persons as OGWs (over-ground workers) since they were rather MWWs (militants without weapons).

"The attack was initially planned for July 9, but that day, there was no movement of any Central Reserve Police Force or vehicle carrying pilgrims in isolation," he said and added that Abu Ismail along with two other Pakistan militants and a local LeT militant carried out the deadly attack.

The July 10 shooting was the worst such attack on annual Armarnath yatra since 2000, when militants fired on a group of pilgrims and killed 32 people including two police officers.

Khan said the militants had kept separate code words for tourist and CRPF vehicles and it was purely an act of terrorism carried out with an aim to spread fear. "The role of two LeT terrorists, who were killed few days ago is still being investigated in this case," he revealed.

Sources said the trio had been arrested on July 26 and were being questioned by the police since then. It was after the the arrest of these three the SIT checked their call details and nailed other involved in the terror attack," they said. Deccan Herald had on July 27 carried an exclusive story about the arrest of Bilal , Aijaz and Zahoor.

Immediately after the attack the police had formed the SIT, headed by Swayam Paraksh Pani, Deputy Inspector General of Police south Kashmir. Pani, with the reputation of an ace investigator, has worked in the National Investigating Agency for a long time and investigated crucial terror cases.