Hizbul militant held on Nepal border while trying to enter India

A Hizbul Mujahideen militant trying to enter India from Nepal was arrested from a border crossing point in Uttar Pradesh earlier this week, the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) said on Sunday.

Nasser Ahmed, 34, a resident of Dolgam village in Jammu and Kashmir, was trying to sneak in India as Kashmiri carpet and Kashmiri vendor when personnel of the SSB's 1st Battalion arrested him, SSB Spokesperson Deepak Singh told IANS.

He said that Ahmed reached Kathmandu in Nepal on May 10 from Pakistan's Faislabad via Sharjah, along with his accomplice Mohammed Shafi, a resident of Butpura village in Jammu and Kashmir.

"From Kathmandu, they separated and Ahmed reached India-Nepal border. Our security personnel arrested him when he failed to show them supporting documents of his identity while crossing the border.

"Subsequently, on a search, a Pakistani passport and identity card having address of Lala Musa village in Punjab (Pakistan) were recovered from his possession," the SSB official said.

According to the official, Ahmed is an active militant and was residing in Pakistan since September 2003.

"He is involved in many violent crimes against civilians and security forces. He was sent to India by his handler for a specific mission. Initially he was trained by militants operating in Banihal and adjoining areas of Jammu and Kashmir and was active in terror activities since 2002," the official said.

Ahmed subsequently went to Pakistan in 2003 with a group of 23 persons and joined the Hizbul Mujahideen.

Between November 2003 and January 2004, Ahmed received arms training at a place called Atak in Pakistan from the group's members as well as personnel of the ISI and Pakistan Army with the aim of fighting with Indian security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, he said.

Ahmed informed interrogators that he used to preach Quran to Hizbul cadres during his stay at various camps.

--IANS

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