Lethpora: NIA Arrests Father-Daughter Duo In Connection With Pulwama Terror Attack

Four days after the National Investigation Agency made a major breakthrough in the Pulwama terror attack case over a year after the bombing, arresting one person who provided shelter to the suicide bomber Adil Ahmad Dar, the NIA on Tuesday (3 March) arrested two more people in the case, sources said.

An NIA source related to the probe told IANS: "Two more persons have been arrested by the agency in the Pulwama terror attack case." The source said that a father-daughter duo have been arrested from Lethpora area for their involvement in the attack. The fresh arrests of the two accused brings the total arrests in the case to three. The arrests were made on the revelations by Shakir Bashir Magrey, who was arrested by the anti-terror probe agency on February 28.

The source, however, did not disclose on what charges they were arrested. The source further said that more arrests will be made in the coming days.

Magrey, a resident of Hajibal, Kakapora in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, is an over ground worker (OGW) of the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror group.

According to agency sources, Magrey allegedly provided shelter and other logistical assistance to the Pulwama suicide bomber. He was sent to 15 days'' NIA custody by a special NIA court in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday.

During interrogation, Magrey revealed that he had harboured Dar and Pakistan-based terrorist Mohammad Umar Farooq in his house from late 2018 till the attack in February 2019 and assisted them in the preparation of the Improvised Explosive Device (IED).

His shop is located near Lethpora bridge, and as advised by Mohammad Umar, he started conducting reconnaissance of the movement of CRPF convoys on Jammu-Srinagar Highway in January 2019, and informed Mohammad Umar and Adil Ahmad Dar about it.

Magrey was also involved in modifying the Maruti Eeco car and fitting the IED into it in early February 2019 and was introduced to Adil Ahmad Dar in mid-2018 by Mohammad Umar and he became a full-time OGW of JeM.

"During his initial interrogation, he disclosed that on several occasions, he collected and delivered arms, ammunition, cash and explosive material to JeM terrorists, including those involved in the Pulwama attack," the agency had said on 28 February.

"During investigation, the make, model and number of the car used in the attack was quickly ascertained by NIA to be a Maruti Eeco through forensic examination of the tiny remnants of the car which were found at the spot during extended searches," the agency stated.

"This has been corroborated by accused Shakir Bashir Magrey. The explosives used in the attack were determined to be ammonium nitrate, nitro-glycerin and RDX, through forensic investigation," it said.

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