J&K: LeT terrorist, his two associates arrested in IED blast outside Udhampur court complex case

Jammu: A Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist and his two associates were arrested in connection with the low-intensity IED explosion on March 9 outside a court complex in Udhampur district that killed one and injured 17, Jammu and Kashmir Police officials said on Saturday (June 4). Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Jammu Mukesh Singh said, “Sticky bomb IED blast took place at Salathia Chowk Udhampur on March 9 which caused the death of one and injured 17.” 

During the investigation, a suspect Mohd. Ramzan Sohil from Halla Bohar Dhar Ramban confessed he had placed an IED in Salathia Chowk in Udhampur on March 9 under the direction of his Pakistani handler Mohd. Amin aka Khubaib, a resident of Kathawa Thathri in Doda who is currently based in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), the police officer said.

Sohil was in contact with Khubaib through social media. He was instructed to fix one sticky bomb IED at Slathia Chowk and others were to be placed at some safer places for future use. On Sohil's disclosure, another sticky bomb IED has been recovered from the same place, Singh informed. 

Sohil received an amount of Rs 30,000 in his Jammu and Kashmir Bank account on March 23 for the blast he carried out in Udhampur as promised by Khubaib, the ADGP said. The amount was deposited in his account by Khurshed Ahmed on Khubaib's direction.

"Khurshed's brother-in-law, named Bilal Ahmed Butt, is a trained terrorist of the LeT group operating in Pakistan for LeT since 2002. Khurshed is handling the monetary channel of Khubaib, Singh said.

The third arrested accused, Nisar Ahmed Khan, was a trained LeT terrorist and remained active in the Doda district between 2001 and 2006, the ADGP said. 

On the directions of Khubaib, he picked up two IEDs -- in December 2021 and January 2022 -- from Belicharana in Jammu, the officer said. On his disclosure, one sticky bomb IED was recovered from Kursari village in the forest area of Bhaderwah, Doda district, he added.

The investigation in the case was underway and more arrests are expected, the ADGP said.