Top LeT terrorist held in Kashmir

JAMMU - A top ranking militant of the outlawed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was arrested Saturday in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, police said.

According to police, the hardcore LeT terrorist, Mohammad Shafi Shah, who went by aliases Pathan and Idrees, was held in Patnazini area of the mountainous district.

The police claimed that the arrest of Shah, in his mid-30s, was a major success in the anti-militancy operations in the state.

“Based on confirmed intelligence input, police launched a massive search operation in Patnazini. During the search operation, the movement of the terrorist was traced and he was challenged. But he tried to escape and was overpowered,” a police spokesperson said.

“One AK 56 rifle, three magazines with 90 rounds of ammunitions and a radio set was recovered from him. He was also in possession of a Pakistani SIM, three other SIMs and a mobile phone,” the spokesman said.

The police said the militant, when challenged, threw away his weapon and tried to run away.

“The action by the terrorist clearly indicates a major change in the psychological make up of the rank and file of the terrorists,” the spokesman said.