Eight LeT 'terrorist associates' arrested for circulating posters to threaten locals in Sopore

Eight Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) "terrorist associates" were arrested from Sopore area of Kashmir's Baramulla district for allegedly circulating posters to locals to threaten and intimidate them at the behest of militants, police said on Tuesday.

"Police in Sopore have arrested eight terrorist associates who were involved in threatening and intimidating locals via publishing of posters," a police spokesperson said.

Posters have come up in parts of Kashmir which give a message of "civil curfew" and ask people to enforce civil "disobedience".

He said they were arrested following the appearance of these posters in Sopore area of north Kashmir's Baramulla district in which locals were threatened and intimidated.

The spokesperson said according to the initial investigation, it is learnt that eight terrorist associates -- Aijaz Mir, Omar Mir, Tawseef Najar, Imitiyaz Najar, Omar Akbar, Faizan Latief, Danish Habib and Showkat Ahmad Mir -- were involved in the offence.

"They had prepared these threatening posters and circulated them in the locality. It is learnt that an active local terrorist namely Sajad Mir alias Haidar and his other associates Muddasir Pandith and Asif Maqbool Bhat affiliated with proscribed terror outfit LeT were the principal architects on whose behest the posters were published and circulated in the area," he said.

The active militants, who are part of this conspiracy, had instructed the individuals to publish "threatening posters", he added.

Police have recovered computers and other items that were used for drafting and publishing the posters, and all the incriminating material, including the computers, have been seized, the spokesperson said.

A case has been registered under relevant sections of law in the matter and further investigation is underway, he said.

Police is also investigating the complicity of these militants in the recent killing of civilians in the area, the spokesperson said.