Major Breakthrough In Kathua Terror Attack Case As Jammu Kashmir Police Arrests Two OGWs

A police spokesperson said that the accused have been identified as Layaqat Ali alias Pawu S/o Gammi R/o Ward No. 07, Kalna Dhanu Parole Tehsil Billawar District Kathua and Mool Raj alias Jenju S/o Uttam Chand R/o Bowli Mohalla Malhar Tehsil Malhar District Kathua were arrested in connection with the July 8 terror attack in which five Army personnel were killed, reports ETV Bharat's Mohd Ashraf Ganie.

Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir): In a significant breakthrough in the July 8 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district in which five soldiers were killed, police on Thursday claimed to have arrested two overground workers (OGWs) of the militant outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad.

A police spokesperson said that in the ongoing efforts to counter terrorist activities, Kathua Police have arrested two Over Ground Workers (OGWs) for supporting terror related activities and lodged them at PS Malhar. The arrested accused have been identified as Layaqat Ali alias Pawu S/o Gammi R/o Ward No. 07, Kalna Dhanu Parole Tehsil Billawar District Kathua and Mool Raj alias Jenju S/o Uttam Chand R/o Bowli Mohalla Malhar Tehsil Malhar District Kathua. A case FIR No. 18/2024 U/S 61(1),113,147,150/ BNS 2/3 EIMCO Act has been registered at PS Malhar whereas the further investigation is going on, police said on Thursday.

The duo have been arrested in connection with the probe into the July 8 terror attack on an army vehicle on the Machhedi-Kindli-Malhar road in the Badnota village of Kathua in which five army personnel were killed. The two arrested men are also alleged to have provided a hotspot wifi connection to help Pakistani terrorists communicate with their handlers sitting across the border, police said adding the duo is being questioned to get more inputs in this regard.

The terrorists had opened fire with automatic weapons and lobbed hand grenades as the Army convoy reached Badnota village in the afternoon, shattering the calm in a relatively quiet area of the Union territory at a time of heightened tensions.

The incident has exacerbated the ongoing wave of terror activities in Jammu, sending alarm bells ringing within the India's security establishment.

Meanwhile, police said that the arrested OGWs were also “found to have purposefully withheld crucial information by not disclosing it to police in time”.

“Both individuals deliberately chose not to disclose vital information to the police, thereby obstructing efforts to prevent terrorist actions,” police said.

Over 100 individuals have been questioned in connection with the 8 July Terror attack case, whereas the preventive measures have been taken against more than 40 individuals to mitigate further risks and disrupt any potential support systems for terrorist activities, police said.

Kathua Police have urged the public to remain alert and report any suspicious activities to their nearest Police Station or Dial 100 or 9858034100.