The dedicated and vigilant units of UP ATS have thwarted a significant terror conspiracy hatched by Hizbul Mujahideen and ISI to execute major attacks on India. Near the porous Nepal border, terrorists Mohammed Altaf Bhat, Syed Gajnafar, and ISI agent Nasir Ali were detained, revealing the sinister plan upon interrogation.
They were arrested in Farenda village, Maharajganj at the India-Nepal border. The nefarious intentions of the trio have been acknowledged. However, the entire blueprint of their operation remains obfuscated, as their intention was to proceed from the border to Delhi and then onward to Kashmir, where they were to be apprised of further instructions. Both UP ATS and NIA are rigorously interrogating the suspects under police custody.
The ISI operatives, including Nasir Ali, have begun extended interrogation under police custody. Findings from the inquiry revealed that Mohammed Altaf Bhat from Rawalpindi and Syed Gajnafar from Islamabad, both originally from Kashmir, had migrated to Pakistan after the Kargil War with aspirations of annexing Kashmir. Altaf Bhat undertook militant training in a Hizbul Mujahideen camp in Muzaffarabad. Through his prolonged training, Altaf Bhat had formed connections with various Hizbul commanders.
In their pursuit to cross into Kashmir, which proved difficult, both suspects routed from Pakistan to Dubai, then to Kathmandu. There, they met Nasir, the nephew of Altaf Bhat. ISI handler Salim had dispatched Nasir to Kathmandu to facilitate their journey through UP into Kashmir. UP ATS discovered flight tickets in Nasir's possession, dating March 27th from Srinagar to Delhi and March 28th from Delhi to Kathmandu.
Relentless investigations have led security agencies to doubt the narrative provided by the suspects, due to several anomalies. Known for receiving sophisticated training in arms handling and evasion tactics at Hizbul training camps, Altaf and Gajnafar swiftly deleted mobile and memory card data upon arrival at Kathmandu airport. ATS is working on recovering the erased data from their mobile devices.
UP ATS is probing this angle with suspicion towards the arrested trio. Despite lacking knowledge of their complete operational details, their proven dangerous endeavors cannot be understated. Notably, the phased arrival of these suspects in UP indicates the commencement of a hazardous plot, particularly with the ongoing legislative elections and the sensitive atmosphere post Ram temple construction in Ayodhya.
The calculated measures to erase their electronic footprint and proceed towards Kashmir through UP represents the beginning of their alarming motives. During the interrogation, crucial information about their accomplices in UP and Delhi has unraveled, which ATS teams are diligently investigating.
