Main conspirator in Lethpora suicide attack killed: Police

SRINAGAR — A Jaish-e-Muhammad Commander and a non-local militant were killed in an operation at Pinglish Tral, police said on Monday.

Police while identifying the Jaish Commander as Mudasir Ahmed Khan said that he was the main conspirator in Lehthpora Pulwama attack that resulted in the death of at least 40 troopers.

Police said that the 23-year-old militant was an electrician with a graduate degree and a resident of Midoora Pulwama. “He initially joined Jaish as an overground worker in 2017, but was later drawn into the militant outfit by Noor Muhammed Tantrey, alias Noor Trali,” he added.

“From the incriminating material recovered at the site of encounter, it is understood that the other killed militant was a Pakistani national code-named Khalid. Search in the area is still underway,” Police said, adding that both the killed militants were affiliated with militant outfit JeM and were wanted by law for their complicity in a series of crimes including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities.

“Many militant crime cases were registered against them,” the Police statement said.

The statement further said, “Both militants were involved in planning and executing several terror attacks in the area particularly Mudasir who was involved in Case FIR No 150/2017 pertaining to attack on CRPF camp in Lethpora on December 30,2017 and Case FIR No 08/2018 under Section 18, 19, 20 ULAP Act.”

“Pertinently, the investigation so far conducted revealed that Mudasir was one of the key conspirators of the recent Pulwama NH convoy attack,” it said.

The statement added, “Arms and ammunition including assault rifles were recovered from the site of encounter. All these materials have been taken in the case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other terror cases.”