LeT commander behind attack on CRPF men: JK police

The Jammu and Kashmir police on Tuesday said it has found out the identities of the masterminds behind the fidayeen attack in Srinagar on March 13.

Five Central Reserve Police Force troopers and two militants were killed in the attack. Ten others, including six CRPF troopers, were injured in the attack at Bemina locality of Srinagar.

Kashmir Inspector General of Police Abdul Ghani Mir told media personnel that the attack was carried out by two Pakistani militants from the Lashkar-e-Tayiba.

He said the attack had been carried out at the behest of Pakistan-based LeT commander Ahmed Bhai and thee outfit's logistics chief Anas Bilal.

“The duo had been facilitated, handled and controlled by Pakistani commander Talha Zarar and local commander Bashir Ahmad Mir who have been arrested by the police,” he said.

“The interrogation of the arrested persons has revealed that the CRPF personnel, who were in close proximity to youngsters playing cricket, were purposefully chosen as targets since that would allow them to inflict maximum damage. The attack had the potential to lead to civilian causalities as well,” Mir said.

He also said the police had arrested a contractual sanitary inspector, identified as Pradeep Singh, for providing logistical support to the attackers.

The police had recovered two AK-47 rifles, five magazines, two pistols, one rifle grenade, four hand grenades and a bag containing medicines and ointments made in Pakistan, he added.

More arms and ammunition have been recovered after the recent arrests, said Mir.