LeT associate arrested in J-K

Security forces have arrested an associate of a Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant who was killed in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Ganderbal district in November last year, police said on Sunday.

During investigation of the case pertaining to operation Kullan in which one LeT militant was killed on November 12, 2019, it has been revealed that two militants were brought to Ganderbal district by Fayaz Ahmed Bhat, a resident of Akhal area of Kangan, a police official said.

He said Bhat is an activist of Hurriyat Conference.

"Bhat has been found to have established contacts of militants with (the) locals of Kullan area where they had (taken) refuge on different occasions and (the) said person also ferried (the) militants from Bandipora to Ganderbal at the behest of Pakistani handlers," the official said.

Bhat was arrested and a Chinese grenade was recovered from his possession, he said.

"Previous record also shows that the said person was involved in grenade lobbying at Kangan police station in the year 2008 and an FIR under the Explosive Substances Act was registered against him. He had remained in jail for a considerable period and was also booked under the PSA (Public Safety Act)," the official added.

While one LeT militant was killed in the encounter, another militant Nisar Ahmad Dar, who had escaped from the encounter site, was arrested by police from a hospital here on January 4.