Watch: Suspected terrorist behind 'fidayeen' bid to target CRPF convoy near Banihal confesses

The Jammu and Kashmir police said they have arrested the "fidayeen" allegedly belonging to terror outfit Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, accused of attacking the CRPF convey at Banihal town of Ramban on March 30.

The accused has been identified as Owais Ameen Rather, a resident of Shopian, who was arrested within 36 hours of the incident, the police said.

A CRPF vehicle had suffered slight damage when a Santro car went up in flames after an explosion at Tethar village, 7 kms from Banihal, shortly after a Jammu-bound convoy crossed the Jawahar Tunnel on Saturday.

The driver of the private vehicle managed to flee before the fire engulfed the vehicle and turned it into a mangled heap of iron.

Rather was booked under various sections of Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), including 307 (attempt to murder), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 121 (waging or attempting to wage war, or abetting waging of war), 121A (conspiracy to commit offences punishable by section 121) and 124 (sedition), besides under the Explosive Substances Act and the Unlawful Activities Act.

"He was produced before the Judicial Magistrate (first class) Banihal Monday and sent to eight days police remand,"  Sajad Sarwar, sub-divisional police officer (SDPO), Banihal said. The officer said he was identified from the description gathered during investigation, including CCTV footage and the bruises which he had suffered on his face and other body parts while jumping out of the vehicle.

Sarwar said the accused confessed to his involvement in the crime.

#WATCH Confession of the accused in the car blast in Banihal, Ramban, after his arrest, today. #JammuAndKashmir pic.twitter.com/H2ABl6oj8o

— ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2019

"Cordon and search went on after the incident. Clues from the site of the incident were obtained and police followed those clues.  After the incident, he was hiding here and there but eventually came on Highway and took a tipper in his bid to escape towards Kashmir. But he was arrested at the check-post," said Dilbag Singh, DGP, Jammu and Kashmir Police.

"The accused Owais Ameen has been arrested within 36 hours of the incident. During interrogation, he confessed to his crime. He is a resident of Shopian. This appeared to be a fedayeen and as per our investigation till now he belongs to Hizb-ul-Mujahideen," he added.

Speaking about the incident, he said: "On 30 March at about 10:15 am, a Santro car loaded with explosives hit a CRPF bus in Banihal while the convoy was moving from Srinagar to Jammu, as a result, the bus suffered minor damage and the CRPF personnel traveling in the said bus had a narrow escape."

Police said massive amounts of explosive materials were found at the blast site split around the car that includes 50 gelatin sticks, urea, ammonium nitrate, 2 LPG cylinders, 1 Improvised Explosive Device (IED), unexploded IED inside Tiffin, etc.

The DGP said the "trigger mechanism" was not perfect and the blast was minor.

"The trigger mechanism was not perfect as a result secondary blast in the cylinder and IED didn't get initiated. The only primary blast of less intensity took place and the accused escaped after triggering the primary blast only," he said.

The accused confessed to his crime after his arrest saying that he was instructed over the phone to do so. "I was asked on the phone to explode the convoy. My task was to drive the car and press the switch. I pressed the button while I was in the car. I was alone when I did it," said Ameen. 

(With PTI, ANI inputs)