Hamza common pseudonym among militants

Jammu and Kashmir police on Thursday said Lashkar-e-Toiba commander Hamza who has figured in the investigation of the failed Delhi blast plot might be a pseudonym since many ultras by this name have been killed by the security forces in the Valley.

However, police said, Hamza’s name might be an indication which can lead to the actual people involved in the failed terror plot.

“Several Hamazas have come and gone. It is pseudonym of lot many militants who have been killed in the last period of militancy. This is barely an indication. We have to clearly identify who the people are and we will go after them”, said Shiv Murari Sahai, inspector general of police, Kashmir range.

Sahai said the operation to arrest two people by Delhi police was part of the investigation conducted by the J&K police. “For some time foreign militants were feeling some problems in staying here. They have started involving locals. We were investigating already and some suspected youth were called for questioning.

But we let them go for time being and in that process we conducted an operation in Sopore in which one militant Bader was killed”, he said. Sahai said during further investigation Ethisham’s name cropped up.

“He was playing a key role and had gone to Jharkahand. We contacted Jharkhand police and by the time he had gone to Delhi. We then shared the information with Delhi police and they were arrested”, he said.

IGP Kashmir said the operation was combined effort and they had used the service of Intelligence Bureau because they are nodal agency for these things. “Obviously wherever the persons are located the respective police forces are involved and they have cooperated. We have worked together”, he said.

Sahai said Lashkar prefers the local youth who have passport so that they can be misguided. “Ethisham was one of them who had passport and gone to Pakistan for training. He was on our radar that is why we are after him”, he said.