Uttar Pradesh ATS busts terror recruitment module in Deoband, nabs two suspected JeM militants posing as students

The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad, Friday, detained two suspected Jaish-e-Mohammad operative from the state’s Deoband town in Saharanpur district, home to the famous Darul Uloom Islamic University. The police has secured their two-day remand from the Lucknow ATS court. The Uttar Pradesh ATS has nabbed two Jaish terrorist Shahnawaz Ahmed Teli, who is originally a resident of Kulgam in south Kashmir and Aqib Ahmed Mallik from Pulwama. It is alleged that the duo was living Deoband, posing as students of the Deoband institute, to brainwash and recruit young Islamic students to join militancy in Kashmir. The duo, however, failed to show any document proving that they were registered students of the Islamic studies institute. [caption id=“attachment_6135321” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Images of suspected JeM militants released by Uttar Pradesh Police. Image Courtesy: Uttar Pradesh Police[/caption] Speaking to the press, Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police, OP Singh said that the police recovered two weapons and live cartridges from their possession, apart from large quantities of jehadi literature, and videos and photographs glorifying militants. Singh said that the police investigation will continue primarily on four counts that how long they have been living in Saharanpur, if they managed to recruit in youths, where was the funding for their mission coming from, and what was their target in Uttar Pradesh. “Of the two, Shahnawaz is said to be a grenade expert. We will investigate when they came here from Kashmir and who is funding them and what was their target. We are in touch with the Jammu and Kashmir Police,” the Uttar Pradesh DGP said. The crackdown on JeM overground workers and operatives was scaled up after the 14 February attack on a Central Reserve Police Force convoy in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama. JeM, which is an anti-India terrorist group based in Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack on the CRPF convoy. In Jammu and Kashmir too, the security forces have initiated a crackdown on JeM militants in the Valley. On Friday , the security forces gunned down another JeM operative in Barammulla when a search party was fired upon by the holed up militant. The security forces were conducting a search operation based on specific intelligence inputs. On Monday , security forces had gunned down the mastermind of the Pulwama terror attack along with two other terrorists of the group in an encounter. However, the forces lost a Major-rank Indian Army officer and four other security personnel in the gun battle. The slain soldiers were identified as Major VS Dhondial, Havaldar Sheo Ram and Sepoys Hari Singh and Ajay Kumar. A head constable of the police was also killed. A civilian also died in the gunfight, though the troops had urged local residents to stay indoors for their safety. Deputy Inspector General of Police, South Kashmir, Amit Kumar, was also injured in the gunbattle between militants and security forces in Pinglana area of the district. Brigadier Harbir Singh of 12 Sector Rashtriya Rifles, a Lieutenant colonel, a Captain and a sub-inspector were also injured. With inputs from PTI