Pulwama Attack: NIA Arrests Another Two Today

Two more persons,including the one who procured chemicals online for making IED used in Pulwamaattack, were arrested by the NIA in the case on Friday, an official said.

Forty Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed in the deadly terror attack in south Kashmir's Pulwama district last year after a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden car in the parliamentary force's convoy. Wazid-ul-Islam (19) of Srinagar's Bagh-e-Mehtab locality and Mohammad Abbas of Hakripora village in Pulwama district were arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Reportedly,during initial interrogation, Islam disclosed that he used his Amazon onlineshopping account to procure chemicals for making IEDs (Improvised ExplosiveDevices), batteries and other accessories on the directions of PakistaniJaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists.

He said, Islampersonally delivered the items to JeM terrorists after procuring the incriminatingmaterial online from the delivery portal as a part of the conspiracy to carryout the Pulwama attack.

Rather is an oldover-ground worker (OGW) of the JeM. He has disclosed that he gave shelter athis home to Jish terrorist and IED expert Mohd Umar after he came to Kashmir inApril-May 2018.

Rather also harbored JeM terrorist's suicide bomber Adil Ahmed Dar, Sameer Ahmed Dar and Kamran, a Pakistani at his house a number of times in the run-up to the Pulwama attack, he said.

He alsofacilitated safe shelter for the JeM terrorists, including Adil, at the houseof accused Tariq Ahmed and his daughter Insha Jan Hakripora, who were arrestedon March 3.

He said Islam and rather will be produced before the NIA special court in Jammu on Saturday, while the further investigation in the case continues.

The NIA took overthe case to probe the conspiracy behind the February 14, 2019, attack inPulwama.

The last video ofAdil, which was released by the JeM from Pakistan after the terror attack, wasfilmed at the residence of Tariq Ahmed Shah.

On February 28, theNIA achieved a major breakthrough in the case when it arrested 22-year-oldShakir Bashir Magrey, a furniture shop owner and resident of Hajibal inPulwama's Kakapora.

Magrey hadprovided shelter and other logistical assistance to suicide bomber Adil. He wasintroduced to Adil in mid- 2018 by Pakistani terrorist Mohammad Umar Farooq andhe became a full-time OGW of the JeM.

The explosives used in the attack were determined through a forensic probe to be ammonium nitrate, nitroglycerin, and RDX.

During theinvestigation into the attack, the identity of the suicide bomber to be AdilAhmad Dar was confirmed through DNA matching with that of his father.

The other keyterrorists involved in the attack have been found to be JeM's south Kashmirdivisional commander Muddasir Ahmad Khan, killed in an operation by securityforces on March 11 last year; Pakistani terrorists Muhammad Umar Farooq and IEDexpert Kamran, both killed on March 29 last year; the owner of the car SajjadAhmad Bhat, a resident of Anantnag who was killed on June 16 last year; andQari Yassir, JeM's commander for Kashmir who was killed on January 25 thisyear.