Srinagar

Jammu and Kashmir Police have busted an interstate module of Lashkar-e-Taiba and arrested five individuals, including a key operative who had been absconding for 16 years, officials said on Tuesday.

The arrested include Abdullah, alias Abu Hureira, a long-wanted terrorist who had managed to establish bases outside the Union Territory during his years on the run. Another Pakistani national, Usman alias Khubaib, was also apprehended in the operation.

The coordinated crackdown involved Jammu and Kashmir Police along with central agencies, with searches conducted at 19 locations across Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan and Haryana. Authorities recovered incriminating materials during the raids.

According to officials, the investigation has exposed a deep-rooted network of the terror outfit involved in providing logistical and financial support to militants.

Among those arrested are three Srinagar residents — Mohammad Naqeeb Bhat, Adil Rashid Bhat and Ghulam Mohammad Mir alias Mama — who allegedly facilitated the terrorists by arranging shelter, food and other assistance.

Preliminary findings suggest that one foreign terrorist had managed to travel abroad using forged documents and fake identity, with the help of the network operating across different states.

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Officials said the group had infiltrated into India around 16 years ago and remained active across various districts of the Kashmir Valley. Over time, they handled and commanded nearly 40 foreign terrorists, most of whom have since been neutralised by security forces.