Cash-starved terrorists resorted to looting banks in the south Kashmir region even as the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorist involved in the attack on the cavalcade of J&K Public Works Minister Naeem Akhtar that left three civilians dead and 30 injured last month has been arrested by the security forces.
Two branches of Jammu and Kashmir Bank were looted in last 24 hours at two different places of south Kashmir. Latest being the Ratnipora branch of Shopian district from where the terrorists looted Rs 1.98 lakh.
Three masked ultras barged into a bank branch in Ratnipora and damaged the CCTVs before decamping with the cash. "Hizbul Mujahideen behind Shopian bank robbery. Abass, Isfaq and Zubair identified behind the crime", (sic) tweeted SP Pani deputy inspector general of police (DIG), South Kashmir Range.
On Thursday, terrorists looted more than Rs five lakh from J&K Bank branch at Madhama-Bijbehara in Anantnag district. "Wanted terrorists Rasiq Navi and Salia Akoon behind the Madahama bank robbery yesterday," said Pani.
Police sources said the demonetisation has hit terrorists and their over-ground workers hard and they are facing acute cash crunch in J&K. Sources said the terrorists require huge money to pay their cadres, buying logistics including smart phones, SIM cards and paying for transport and other facilities.
Figures reveal that around 12 banks have been looted since demonetisation was announced in November last year. These include four in Pulwama, two in Shopian, two in Kulgam, one each in Budgam and Kishtwar. Militants looted three banks, disarmed five cops and killed seven men before decamping with nine riffles in the explosive south Kashmir in first week of May alone.
Meanwhile, security forces achieved a major success when they arrested a JeM militant who lobbed a grenade on the motorcade of PWD Minister Naeem Akhtar at Tral in which three civilians lost their lives and 30 others were injured on September 21.
Police said acting on specific information, Awantipora police along with 42 Rashtriya Riffles and 180th battalion of CRPF launched a cordon and search operation at village Naristan Tral. During the search operation one local ultra Gulzar Ahmad Dar was apprehended.
Police said during sustained questioning, Dar admitted that he hurled the grenade on the instructions of JeM commander Mufti Vikas, a Pakistani national, and Noor Mohammad Tantray a local ultra of Gund Tral.
Dar was also involved in grenade attack at same place in 2014 in which five persons lost their lives He was later arrested and released after two years in January 2017 before recycling into militancy again.
"During questioning, he admitted that his four associates (all foreign terrorists) are hiding in a hideout in Pastuna forest Tral. Accordingly, a search operation was launched in the forest area. During searches, terrorists hiding in the hideout fired upon the search party. The fire was retaliated but taking advantage of the dense forest, terrorists managed to escape from the hideout," said the spokesman.
Notes ban effect
- Figures reveal that around 12 banks have been looted since demonetisation was announced in Nov, 2016.
- These include four in Pulwama, two in Shopian, two in Kulgam, one each in Budgam and Kishtwar.
- Terrorists looted three banks, disarmed five cops and killed seven men before decamping with nine riffles in the explosive south Kashmir in first week of May alone.
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