Major Jaish hideout busted

Continuing their offensive against Pakistan-backed militants, the Border Security Force and Kashmir police jointly busted a major hideout of the Jaish-e-Mohammad in the city. It was the 13th hideout destroyed since the killing of Jaish chief commander Ghazi Baba, a BSF spokesman said Saturday.

The hideout was unearthed in a pre-dawn operation at Arampora-Qammerwari in downtown Srinagar, near Dana Mazar where Ghazi Baba and his deputy Rashid Bhai were killed on August 30.

Acting on a tip off, two BSF battalions assisted by Safakadal police station, raided the house of Nazir Ahmad Chauhan and unearthed a sophisticated hideout underneath the kitchen, the spokesman said.

Forty seven grenades, three types of rifles, an automatic pistol, a Chinese pistol, a large quantity of explosives and Rs 67,900 in Indian currency besides jehadi literature were recovered from the hideout, he said adding Chauhan has been arrested.

Terming the raid a major breakthrough, the spokesman said it was for the first time that a Bulgarian-made Krinkov rifle was recovered from the militants.

The militants had paid Rs 80,000 to the house owner for construction of the hideout, he said.