Pulwama attack main conspirator Abdul Rashid Gazi traced, claim sources

JAMMU: The investigators probing the Pulwama attack case have reportedly traced Abdul Rashid Gazi, who is believed to be the main conspirator of Thursday's suicide attack on the CRPF convoy which left at 40 troopers dead and several others critically injured.

According to reports, Abdul Rashid Gazi has been traced to some forest location near Pulwama or Tral and is believed to be operating from there.

Abdul Rashid Gazi is believed to have received directions from his Pakistan-based boss Maulana Masood Azhar to carry out a major terror strike in India. 

Efforts are already underway to nab him alive.

It may be recalled that nearly a month ahead of the Pulwama attack, intelligence agencies had received inputs that terror outfit JeM was planning a major strike. 

There were credible inputs that JeM was planning to target the security forces and other vital installation. 

It appears that the agencies failed to act on the inputs gathered by the intelligence officials and eventually failed to foil the Pulwama attack plot.

The JeM, which was literally eliminated, had declared that it will do something big in the month of February and the Pulwama attack is being seen in that context.

Out of 70 odd JeM recruits, Adil Ahmed Dar was a category C terrorist who was also under the scanner of Indian security agencies.

A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team, along with explosives and forensic experts, collected the materials required for a forensic evaluation of the scene of crime. 

Considering the status of the scene of crime, the team will continue with sifting of the material on Saturday as well. The outcome will be made known once the analysis is over.

The overall planning of the terror strike is believed to be done by a Pakistani national, Kamran of JeM, who has been operating and moving in the Pulwama, Awantipora and Tral areas of south Kashmir.

The "fidayeen" (suicide attacker) was later identified as Adil Ahmad from Kakapora in Pulwama. He had joined the JeM ranks in 2018.

According to initial investigations, the plan for the terror strike was hatched in the Midoora area of Tral.

The police are also looking for another local JeM overground worker, who was instrumental in arranging the explosives. 

Continuing its probe, the Jammu and Kashmir Police has detained seven persons from Pulwama district in south Kashmir in connection with the deadly terror attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel near Awantipora.

The youths were detained from Pulwama and Awantipora during the night on suspicion of links with the planning of the suicide attack, the first-of-its-kind in which a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist detonated an explosive-laden vehicle near a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) bus.

With PTI inputs