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Lashkar terrorist Zahoor Ahmad arrested, suspected to be behind killings of 3 BJP workers in Kulgam


Mangalore Today News Network

Srinagar, Feb 13, 2021:     Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Police has arrested Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist who is suspected to be behind the killings of three Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers last year in Vessu area of Kulgam district. Zahoor Ahmad Rather was arrested from Samba district of J&K.

 

Zahoor Ahmad


Police suspect that Zahoor Ahmad Rather also killed a policeman in Furrah area of Kulgam. He is a member of Lashkar-e-Taiba or TRF (The Resistance Front). Zahoor Ahmad Rather is being brought to Kashmir for further investigation.

"A team of Police from Anantnag arrested the militant, Zahoor Ahmad Rather alias Sahil alias Khalid of TRF from Samba on the intervening night of February 12 and 13. Zahoor Ahmad Rather was hiding in Samba and was arrested following specific information by Anantnag Police," a senior police officer said.

The police officer said The Resistance Front (TRF) is an offshoot of the Lashkar-e-Taiba militant outfit.

"He was involved in the killing of three BJP workers in Kulgam last year and one policeman at Furra in the South Kashmir district," the top Kashmir police officer said, adding, "Zahoor is being brought to Kashmir for further investigations."

The three Bharatiya Janata Party functionaries -- Fida Hussain Yatoo, Umer Rashid Beigh and Umer Ramzan Hajam -- were killed in YK Pora locality of Kulgam on October 29, 2020.

All three were travelling in a car when militants opened indiscriminate fire at them around 8.20 pm. All three victims were rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors declared them dead on arrival. Locals informed the J&K police that the attackers fled in an Alto car.
PM Narendra Modi condemned the killings of the three BJP workers and said, "I condemn the killing of 3 of our young Karyakartas. They were bright youngsters doing excellent work in J&K. My thoughts are with their families in this time of grief. May their souls rest in peace."
WHAT IS TRF?

TRF is a recent entrant in the spectrum of J&K’s militancy. The security forces believe it was floated after the Centre’s move to abrogate of Article 370 in 2019. It is believed that the handlers across the border devised the plan to float the TRF by using the cadre of LeT and other militant groups.

The TRF has been involved in most attacks on political workers in the valley last year. The focus clearly has been on targeting the activists and leaders of the BJP.

As per details, the militant group has been involved in the assassination of 11 political workers in 2020 in Kashmir. Out of the 11 killed, nine were associated with the BJP.


Courtesy:India Today