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चैत्र कृष्ण पक्ष, गुरूवार, तृतीया, संकट निवारण चर्तुथी

News

Terror plan to avenge Rizwan Pandit’s death intercepted


Date:- 18 May 2019


Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

Authorities have sounded high alert at Srinagar Airport and the Indian Air Force (IAF) base at Kuil, Awantipora, after security and intelligence agencies in New Delhi intercepted communications suggesting strong possibility of one or more suicide strikes to avenge the death in Police custody of a private school teacher on the anniversary of the Battle of Badr on 17th Ramzan.
According to highly placed authoritative sources, extra alertness at Srinagar Airport and the IAF base near Awantipora has been ordered after the Central security and intelligence agencies in New Delhi intercepted several encrypted communications indicating possibility of some terror attacks in the Valley on May 23 (17th Ramzan) that marks the anniversary of the Battle of Badr. The battle was fought during Prophet Mohammad’s lifetime in Hejaz area of Saudi Arabia on March 13, 624 CE.
The security and intelligence agencies, according to sources, have learned from the intercepted communications that Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) in coordination with Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) were planning a slew of terror strikes mainly to take revenge of the death of a private school teacher Rizwan Assad Pandit. Rizwan had been picked up by Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police from his home at Awantipora on March 17. In Police custody, he died during the night intervening March 18 and 19.
The agencies have learned that a group of four terrorists-HM’s Kashmir chief Riyaz Naikoo, JeM’s local terrorist Zahid Manzoor and an unidentified Pakistani terrorist and LeT’s Riyaz Dar-held a secret meeting in Agriculture Department’s farms at Malangpora (between Awantipora and Kuil airfield) on May 14. They discussed a plan of major strikes on certain targets on May 23 (17th of Ramzan) coinciding with the Battle of Badr.
It was decided in the meeting that in order to take revenge of Rizwan Pandit’s “custodial killing”, attacked would be executed on certain key targets including some on the Srinagar-Jammu highway. A major terror strike on the office of SSP Awantipora was also discussed. Sources said that Srinagar airport and the IAF airfield at Kuil Awantipora were also the terrorists’ prime targets after the February 26 IAF strikes on a JeM camp in Balakot, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in Pakistan.
The IAF strikes were in retaliation of the JeM fidayeen attack on a paramilitary convoy which left over 40 CRPF martyred at Lethapora, close to Awantipora, on February 14 this year. Police suspected Rizwan Pandit’s involvement in planning and execution of the attack.
According to Police, son of a retired government employee and a prominent Jamaat-e-Islami activist, 29-year-old Rizwan, who had post-graduation in Chemistry, had been detained for questioning over his alleged involvement in a terror attack at Pantha Chowk. The FIR filed after his death claims that Rizwan died when he jumped out of a moving Police vehicle and attempted to escape in Khrew area. His family and residents, followed by most of the Valley-based political and separatist parties have described his death as “cold-blooded murder”.
Parallel to the FIR, Government has ordered magisterial inquiry under Section 376 CrPC. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Pulwama had been granted four-week time to submit his report. However, on his request, Government has granted the magistrate another four weeks to complete the inquiry.
Police have not issued any statement over and above the text in the FIR. However, knowledgeable sources say that the Police had received vital inputs which claimed that Rizwan had his hand in acquisition and transportation of chemicals and explosive material from Dehradun to Awantipora and fabrication of the IED fitted in a car. His family have strongly refuted all such reports and suggestions and claimed that he was in no way linked to terrorism. 
The first, and till date the last, terror attack on Srinagar airport had been carried out by LeT on January 16, 2001. It failed to cause any significant damage as all the six terrorists were eliminated by security forces at the first entry point in a three-hour-long gunfight. Three CRPF personnel were martyred and two civilians were killed in the operation. Terrorists had managed to reach the first entry point and X-Ray room in a hijacked vehicle of J&K State Forest Corporation.
On October 3, 2017, JeM terrorists sneaked into a camp of BSF 182 Bn on the Friends Enclave corner of Srinagar airport but failed to cause much damage as all three of them were killed in the pre-dawn encounter. One Assistant Sub Inspector of BSF got killed and four personnel sustained injuries during the gunfight.
On August 16, 2014, unidentified terrorists attacked men of BSF 165 and 92 Bn while they were changing shift at the entrance of Kuil Awantipora airfield. Two BSF personnel, including one ASI, were martyred but all the terrorists managed to escape.

Courtesy:State Times,May 18,2019