Pakistani terrorist's fear aborted the mission in J&K

Jammu: A Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorist, who had infiltrated into Kashmir along with Mohammed Naved, who was captured alive after Udhampur terror attack, had come with a mission of targeting market place but developed cold feet at the last minute.

They were part of a four-member LeT which had crossed over into the Valley from Gulmarg sector in June and were headed towards Bari Brahmana in neighbouring Samba district where a market frequented by Army men was to be targeted. An Army installation is also nearby.

Naved, now in custody, and Abu Okasa were approaching their target on the outskirts of Jammu city on July 20. Suddenly Abu, a 17-year-old resident of Khyber Pakthunwa in Pakistan, started crying and developed second thoughts on the mission he was supposed to carry out.

These details have emerged during interrogation of Naved and have been corroborated by truck driver Khursheed Ahmed, who had ferried them to Bari Brahmana, official sources said. The truck driver has since been arrested.

The area to be attacked was the market place and an adjoining Army installation but Abu started crying bitterly and was shaking due to fear, the two told the sleuths and said the plan was aborted and they returned to the Kashmir Valley.

Besides Abu and Naved, the other two who had infiltrated with them were Zhargham alias Mohd Bhai and Mohammed Noman alias Momin, who was partner of Naved on August 5 and was killed in retaliatory fire by Border Security Force. Two personnel were also killed in the attack. NIA has announced a cash reward of Rs 5 lakh each on Abu and Zhargham.

Abu was handed over to Abu Qassim, a Pakistani national who is self-styled commander of Lashkar in South Kashmir, and there was no information about him thereafter, they said. NIA has announced a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh on Qassim also.

NIA, which is probing the case, was handed over three GPS recovered from a hideout in Tral by the Army and two smart phones which gave away the over ground network of Lashkar terror outfit in South Kashmir.

The GPS was carried by the team of which Naved was a part and he told his interrogators that they deleted all the points entered in the GPS, which is used by travellers while trekking, the sources said.

Naved, who has been subjected to a lie detector test, has already recorded his confessional statement before a magistrate last week.