KS Correspondent

The arrest of some locals in Rajouri-Poonch districts has unravelled how ISI works in these border districts. On April 7, the BSF arrested two brothers, Mohd Khaliq, the Lumberdar and Mohd Zaffar, a police Head Constable posted in the security of the Chief Minister. Following their arrest, the BSF recovered three 107 mm rockets, forty 82mm HE bombs and 29 kg RDX from the fields belonging to them. The two are residents of Dudsanwalla, Rajouri. While Khaliq continues to be in BSF custody, Zaffar has been sent to Joint Interrogation Centre. The two brothers were having links with Lashkar-e-Toiba mercenaries. Mohd Sadiq, son of Haji Haleem and Mumtaz Ahmed, son of Haji Mohd Akbar, who were nabbed by the BSF alongwith Zaffar and Khaliq are in the custody of police at Rajouri for interrogation.

Sources said that BSF officials were stunned to see the caves, Zaffar and Khaliq had constructed under the fields for concealing the arms and ammunition. The hideout was disclosed by Mohd Khaliq after he was severely grilled by BSF officers, following his arrest. They used to operate the hideout during night hours. LeT militants were frequent visitors to the house of the Head Constable and Lamberdar, neighbours told the BSF officials.

Dudsanwalla, 9 kms from Rajouri was being specially targetted by ISI for building hideouts. This was revealed when an ex-servicemen Abdul Rehman was arrested on April 11. He had his last posting in J&K Rifles. BSF arrested him after it was established that he had joined Hizbul Mujahideen--Pir Panjal Group after his retirement. He, BSF officials said, was working as a front-ranking activist of the outfit.

A long-tunnel erected inside his house was discovered. Huge quantity of weaponry, which included a six-feet long RCL 82mm gun, was recovered from the tunnel. This tunnel was being used by over 50 militants of the Pir Panjal group as a hideout. This was for the first time that a six-feet long tunnel had been recovered. This gun with a range of 15 kms and capable of destroying army tanks had been used by the terrorists in attack on army camps and convoys twice in Rajouri district. The entrance to the tunnel had been covered with a wooden almirah and couldn’t be detected from outside.

The tunnel had all the items of luxury, including dunlop mattresses, colour TV sets, refrigerators, imported liquor, cigarettes and other items. It could accommodate 50 terrorists at a time. Rehman revealed that before and after the operations, the terrorists used this tunnel as a safe hideout.

The third major arms recovery in Dudsanwala village was on April 19. During six-hour long search operation, the SOG and Army located a hideout constructed under a field belonging to Bagh Hussain’s family. From this hideout two terrorists were arrested and lot of arms, ammunition and explosives recovered. Bagh Hussain, a government teacher turned Hizbul Mujahideen activist was arrested on April 19. During this fortnight. This major arms recovery was seventh in the Poonch-Rajouri regionr

ISI penetrates police

Recently security forces arrested some women militants. Sources said, these women during interrogation revealed the names of some senior police officials of Poonch-Rajouri, who are involved in supplying information regarding security forces plans against militants in Pir Panjal range and also are assisting them in carrying out their strikes. As per a report, a Dy SP, 9 Inspectors, 23 Sub-Inspectors and a number constables and lower ranks are involved. The report added that a list of about 120 such Police and CID personnel has been submitted by intelligence agencies. Most of them hail from Rajouri district. Since the inception of militancy more than 50 police personnel have been arrested for having nexus with militants. Some personnel of CID were also found involved in assisting militants in capturing a police search party recently in Thanamandi areas. The cops were freed after they were relieved of their weapons. Later a CID official was taken into custody for having nexus with militants.

Some more details regarding how ISI works in Poonch-Rajouri region have become available. Thousands of people from J&K have gone to Saudi-Arabia and UAE on a working visa. Intelligence sources say at least ten thousands people belong to the Rajouri and Poonch districts. During their stay in Arabian countries, many of them are taken to Pakistan on Pakistani passports for training in subversion. From Saudi Arabia and UAE these people then return to J&K on Indian passports. Rest of them section collect funds for terrorist outfits operating in J&K. Muslims from different cities of India also go to Pakistan under this scheme.

Recently, the state police arrested a guide of militants, Mohd Israil. His elder brother Mohd Ismail had been raising funds for Lashkar-e-Toiba in Dubai. Ismail, a resident of Dara Dullian, Poonch went to Dubai in 1984. Jahangir, a top militant belonging to Lashkar recruited him as the outfit’s "resident agent". In three years Ismail, operating under an assumed name of Abdul Rehman collected Rs 5 crores.

Later, on a Pakistani passport, he went to Pakistan for six months arms training at Mashram-al-Alqari centre in Muzaffarabad. After completion of training, he sneaked back into Poonch and persuaded his younger brother, Mohd Israil to act as a guide for Lashkar terrorists.