New Delhi, August 08: Two Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) terrorists, Javed Ahmad Tantray and Ashiq Ali Batt, arrested around midnight on Thursday, were planning a ‘suicide attacks’ in several crowded places in Delhi.
On their agenda was a ‘shooting spree’, similar to the Mumbai attacks last year, sources in the Special Cell said.
They were given two AK-47 assault rifles and four magazines containing 120 rounds two hand grenades and enough ammunition to hold hostages at a place for several hours, said sources.
The terrorists have not disclosed their exact targets in Delhi but had been specially trained in attacking the Indian Army and the police, sources said.
A senior officer said, “They had to meet a person called Rizwan at the Sarai Kale Khan bus stand to get further directions. We suspect they were sent to attack people at crowded places where there are military camps or heavy police presence.”
Officials say that HM is supported by the Lashkar-e-Toiba in its operations. In Delhi, Lashkar members might have been planning an attack, as Independence Day is around the corner, official sources said.
Special Cell officers also said both Javed and Ali have met HM chief Peer Sayed Salauddin and deputy chief Khalid Saifullah. “Javed, in fact, saw Salauddin every day as he was driving vehicles in the militant training camps across the border,” said Alok Kumar, DCP Special Cell.
Javed, a native of Kupwara, had joined Hizbul in 1997. “He crossed the border in 1997 and reached the Leepa camp office of HM where he was trained,” said Kumar. Ashiq Ali joined Hizbul in 2003 when some terrorists took him to Kathua for training.
He was motivated for Jehad and was also assigned the code name ‘Faisal’. He also went to Pakistan with 60 others in 2003 and underwent militancy training at Boi Camp, Muzzaffarabad (Pakistan).
Kumar said both were trained in arms. “They had been indoctrinated. Javed joined the outfit primarily for money. Both stayed on in Pakistan since then and were sent to India for the first time for an operation,” said a senior officer. They reportedly did not know each other earlier as they were in different camps.
A few weeks ago, Salaudddin reportedly met them personally in Rawalpindi and told both Javed and Ali that they would have to carry out attacks in India.
One Shahid of Hizbul in Pakistan monitored their visit to India. Shahid gave them Rs 40,000 and sent them to Nepal on a Pakistan Airlines flight. About their journey, Kumar said, “Another Hizb member took them to Nepal where they stayed for a while.
On August 3, they crossed to India from Sonoli Border in Nepal and went to Gorakhpur by train. They reached Jammu on August 4 where they stayed in the Jama Masjid. One Faiyaz helped them in Jammu and provided them with a Santro car for their trip to Delhi.”
This car, HR-36-C-3036, was recovered from them last night when they were arrested. It was in the parking lot of Mahavir Vatika opposite Jama Masjid. They reportedly drove from Jammu to Delhi. “Our teams had intercepted them at the Delhi border and we chased them. Outside Mahavir Vatika, Javed made a call from a PCO on Shahid’s mobile number in Pakistan,” said P N Aggarwal, Joint Commissioner of Police (Special Cell).
Javed and Ali were provided two fake ID cars. The Santro they were travelling in was stolen and had a fake number plate. They were arrested under the Arms and Unlawful Activities act.
–Agencies