Pak LeT operative Bahadur Ali tells NIA he met Hafiz Saeed twice, was in touch with handler from PoK

Arrested Pakistani terrorist Bahadur Ali during NIA's questioning said that during training he met with Hafiz Saeed twice. He also said that he was in regular touch with a Control Room in PoK, where his handler Walid was instructing him. Bahadur Ali also said that he came to Kashmir to kill innocent civilians.

The NIA had questioned Bahadur Ali alias 'Saifullah' on Friday, a Pakistani national allegedly working for Lashkar-e-Taiba terror outfit, about his involvement of his group in spreading violence in Jammu and Kashmir. 

A fourth-class dropout Ali, who hails from Jahama village of Raiwind in Lahore, was arrested from village Yahama in Mawar area of Qalamabad, Handwara, in North Kashmir on July 25. The Army had recovered three AK-47 rifles, two pistols and Indian Rs 23,000 from his possession. A team of NIA officials led by a Deputy Inspector General took the custody of 22-year-old from Handwara court and brought him here for a thorough interrogation, including carrying out some scientific tests.

The captured militant had told his interrogators in Srinagar that he had been hiding in the forests of Handwara and receiving infiltrating groups from PoK before sending them further into the Valley, the sources said. The interrogation of Ali, who has been brought on a five-day NIA remand, is expected to throw some light on sudden spurt of infiltration into the valley.

Ali was trained at a Lashkar camp in PoK, including in map reading and operating GPS devices.

Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju called Ali a "very good catch" and said his arrest will lead to many successes. He said the arrested militant would be "big handle for us".