Arrested terrorist admits to links with Kashmiri militants

Billa was at the dera of Fakir Mohammad near Berian Pattan under Sadar police station, Pathankot in Gurdaspur district and was nabbed while coming out with a bag slung over his shoulder. Yadav said that 10 kg of gelatine, a low explosive used for blasting at construction sites, one pistol and four cartridges were recovered from his possession.

The police have registered a case under the Arms Act and Explosives Act. The SSP said that Billa who is about 50-years-old, is a resident of Baju Bag village in Chamba. Billa had a dera in Bashroof village in Sujanpur in this district. During preliminary interrogation, Billa disclosed that he was in close contact with Bashir Ahmed, a suspected Kashmiri militant who used to come to his house for food and shelter.

It was through Billa that Bashir contacted Sharif Mohammad, resident of Jalla village, who was induced by Billa to cooperate with the terrorist and was promised a sum of Rs 20,000 for this. Yadav said that two meetings with the leaders of the terrorist group which carried out the massacre were held on July 24 and July 30 this year. The first meeting was held in Billa’s village while the second was held in the house of Sharif Mohammed in Jalla.

Yadav further said that during these sessions Sharif had agreed to cooperate with the terrorists. Sharif reached Kalaban a day before the massacre and was among the group of persons who were rounded up by the terrorists. The SSP said that after the massacre of 24 persons at Kalaban, a group of four Muslims and six Hindus were used to carry the luggage of the terrorists and the gelatine explosive taken from the construction site.

Four Muslims including Sharif Mohammad were let off by the terrorists while the Hindus were carried away as hostages. Prior to coming to the Kalaban construction site, the terrorists had killed some person en route so that their escape would be unhindered. Later, the terrorists reached Shatrundi and carried out the second massacre, the SSP said.

Yadav said the Gurdaspur police was in close contact with the Chamba police who had been able to identify the four persons who were used as collaborators by the terrorists. Investigations also revealed that a group of eight terrorists had carried out the massacre, seven of whom were possibly foreign terrorists while one was a local Gujjar from a village in Chamba close to the HP-J&K border.

The SSP said that these terrorists had long hair and were bearded and were in their twenties. They were armed with AK 56 rifles and were speaking several languages which could not be understood by the locals. Yadav further informed that Billa had played the role of collaborator in the massacre of five persons in Padri village on the HP-J&K border on July 2.

The bodies of the victims were found only five days later. Yadav said that Billa’s interrogation was still in progress and more arrests were likely soon.