NIA joins the dots: Poonch, Rajouri attacks by same lot, directions came from Pakistan

Initial investigation revealed that the IED had been planted by two militants to target senior officers when they would visit the scene of the attack the next morning. The case was initially registered at the Rajouri police station but was taken over by the NIA later.

During investigation, the NIA found that local logistics support was provided to the two attackers and after carrying out the strike, they went underground.

“In September, NIA arrested two men, Nissar Ahmed and Mushtaq Hussain, both from Poonch district, on the charge of harbouring militants involved in the Dhangri killings. After their questioning, the NIA got to know that Nissar had been in constant touch with one of the LeT handlers, Abu Qatal alias Qatal Sindhi. Nissar, an overground worker, had been arrested earlier. He was released from jail in 2014 after spending two years (in custody) under the Public Safety Act,” a source said.

Incidentally, Nissar had been working as an “informer” for the last two-three years and had even been called by the local police following the attack in Dhangri.

“He told investigators that after the incident, he was told by Qatal to provide shelter to both militants and he gave Rs 75,000 to Mushtaq Hussain, asking him to construct a hideout in a cave. Nissar used to provide home cooked food to them. Two days before the attack on Army soldiers in Poonch district in April, the militants asked for 22 rotis and left the hideout without informing him,” a source said.

An official said two days after they left their hideout, the duo attacked an Army vehicle, killing five personnel of a Rashtriya Rifles unit and leaving another injured, near Bhatta Durian on the Bhimber Gali–Surankote road in Poonch.

“After collecting several pieces of evidence, the NIA has now found that the attackers in both incidents were the same and they had carried these out on the directions of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba handlers Saifullah alias Sajid Jutt, Abu Qatal alias Qatal Sindhi and Mohammed Qasim,” the official said.