NIA to deport PoK youth who aided terrorists in Uri terror attack

The National Investigative Agency (NIA) will soon file a closure report in connection with a case relating to the two youth from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), who were suspected to have helped the terrorists carry out the deadly attack in an army camp in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri sector last year.

Faisal Hussain Awan and Ahsan Khursheed - will be sent back as the charges framed against could not be substantiated.

The two men were arrested on September 21 last year three days after the attack that killed 19 Indian soldiers.

They will be returned as part of a 'goodwill arrangement' between New Delhi and Islamabad wherein Indian soldier Chandu Chavan was sent back by Pakistan last month.

The investigative agency decided to file closure report after it did not find the any evidence against the two, on their initial confession made to the Indian Army.

However, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), reportedly, will decide the modalities of their return to PoK.

According to the NIA statement of September 27, 2016, Awan and Khursheed had during their interrogation, "disclosed that they were tasked by Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) commanders to facilitate the infiltration of a group of four JeM cadres who carried out the Uri Army camp attack".

On being shown photographs of the four slain terrorists, Awan identified one of them as Hafeez Ahmed, son of Feroz, resident of village Dharbang, Muzaffarabad.

On September 18, 2016 four armed terrorists launched an attack at a camp close to the headquarter of the 12th Brigade at Uri's Baramulla District.

At least 17 army soldiers were killed and injured 19 others injured in the suicide attack.