Six held for attempted attack on CRPF convoy at Banihal

Six persons, including a Ph.D. student, have been arrested in connection with the failed attack on a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy in Banihal area of Jammu-Srinagar highway on March 30, police said on Tuesday.

A private car had exploded in the Banihal area of Ramban district on the Jammu-Srinagar highway on March 30 while a CRPF convoy was moving on the highway. However, no damage or casualty was caused except for minor damage to one of the buses.

Inspector General of Police, Jammu, M.K. Sinha told reporters that the six were arrested during the investigations into the March 30 explosion and were identified as Ph.D scholar Hilal Ahmad Mantoo, Umar Shafi, Aqib Shah and Waseem, all residents of Shopian district, and Shahid Wani and Owais Amin, of Pulwama district.

Police said a letterhead belonging to the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit that was recovered from the wreckage of the exploded car had identified Amin as the militant the outfit had deputed to carry out the attack, which had been jointly planned by it and the Jaish-e-Muhammad.

The IGP said the National Investigation Agency (NIA) will take the case now that the state police had completed its investigations.

The driver of the car had managed to escape after the explosion, which, the police said, occurred prematurely as it could not cause any damage or casualty as was intended by the militants.

--IANS

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