IED event in Jammu and Kashmir, Kupwara area, India on Thu 10th November 2022

On November 10, Security Forces (SFs) arrested six militants from Kupwara District, reports Daily Excelsior. First a militant, Bilal Ahmed Dar, was arrested. During interrogation, he revealed that he along with five other people from different parts of North Kashmir were running a (militant) funding racket under the garb of a NGO Islahi Falahi Relief Trust which claimed to provide monetary assistance to poor and needy families. Bilal said he was actively involved in coordinating the funding activities and aiding recruitment by organizing Ijtema meetings in different villages where he along with other members of the NGO would try and lure young people into anti-national activities. He revealed the names of other accomplices including Wahid Ahmed Bhatt, Javed Ahmed Najar, Mushtaq Ahmed Najar, Bashir Ahmed Mir and Zubair Ahmed Dar, who is Bilal’s cousin. They were all arrested. ”A huge quantity of arms, ammunition, raw material to prepare IED [Improvised Explosive Devices] and incriminating material has also been recovered from all the apprehended persons. The recoveries include five pistols, 10 magazines, 49 pistol rounds and two grenades besides one IED,” an unnamed Police spokesman said.  He added that the module was being coordinated by Pakistan-based handlers to aid the operations of Tehreek-e-ul Mujhahideen Jammu and Kashmir (TuMJK) in North Kashmir. “The modus operandi of the group was to go to different villages and conduct events and gatherings under the garb of the NGO and would collect money by asking for charity and also scout for potential soft targets as recruits,” the police spokesman added. “The accounts in the NGO’s name were being used to launder money for the TuMJK. The group was also responsible for sticking anti-national posters around the 15th of August [2022] and during the visit of the Union Home Minister of India to Baramulla,” the spokesman said. “Bilal specifically also admitted to hoisting a Pakistani flag inside Markazi Jamia Masjid Kupwara on the 14th of August on the instructions of his Pakistani handlers,” the police spokesperson said, adding, “the group was also actively collecting explosive materials which is known to be used in IEDs [Improvised Explosive Devices].” “Bilal and his associates were receiving instructions from across the border from Dr Shah Sab alias Manzoor Shah alias Gen Abdullah actually named as Ghulam Rasool Shah of Hyhama Kupwara, who is a Pakistan based (militant) handler, Tariq Peer actually named Mohammad Sultan Peer of Sulkoot Kupwara also a Pakistan based (militant) handler alias Yousaf Baloch alias Osama alias Qureshi and one alias Hamza alias Mishtaq”, the spokesman added. “Wahid Ahmed Bhatt alias Tauheed was the mastermind behind the recruitment and (militant) funding module,” he said.