Top Hizb IED expert held

A Hizbul Mujahideen Pulwama 8216;commander8217;, considered a highly trained expert in use of IEDs and particularly liquid explosives, was arrested from his hideout in Srinagar8217;s Safakadal locality early on Monday morning. In an interaction, Rayees Kachroo talked about a sense of disillusionment and dismay among militants in the Valley on account of the 8220;change8221; in Pakistan8217;s Kashmir policy and said they were waiting for a 8220;clear policy8221; about their fate. 8220;We do discuss it regularly. We have been hearing that Pakistan has decided to pull back and it is very confusing,8221; Kachroo said. He claimed that Hizbul Mujahideen had been especially weakened because of the pressure of the police over its cadre and leadership.

Sources said that the security forces had been tipped off about Kachroo8217;s presence at his aunt8217;s house in Safakadal some days ago and were waiting for UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to leave the Valley before launching an operation. During the raid, the police recovered three Universal machine guns, a sniper rifle, an AK-47 rifle with six magazines, three pistols, three wireless sets and 60 litres of liquid explosives from Kachroo.