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The police on Thursday claimed to have busted a module of Hizbul Mujahideen by arresting four terrorists involved in the killing of a Special Police Officer and attack on a sarpanch in Sopore area in Baramulla district of north Kashmir.
Based on investigations into the shooting incidents in Sopore on July 26 and 28, a police team went to arrest Asif Ahmad Dar alias Ashmate at Mumkak in Sopore area, a police spokesman said.
"The police, the army and the Central Reserve Police Force laid a cordon of Dar's house but he jumped from the second storey of his house and attempted to open fire upon security forces. However, his pistol got stuck and he was apprehended," the spokesman said.
Dar's questioning led police to another suspect Aqib Ahmad Mir. Further questioning of the duo revealed involvement of two more individuals in commission of crimes, he said. "Mehrajudin Rather alias Shabir and Fayaz Ahmad Lone were also arrested. One pistol each was recovered from the four arrested persons," the spokesman said.
The arrested terrorists revealed that Dar, Rather and Lone offered prayers in Jamia Masjid Krankshivan where Sarpanch Khizar Mohammad was also present. After the prayers, they shot the Sarpanch and left him for dead.
Two days later, Dar and Mir went to Untoo Hamam and shot dead SPO Mudasir Ahmad Dar. The cop was a member of anti-narcotics squad of Sopore police.
"The arrested persons were affiliated with Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist outfit working under direct command of Imtiyaz Ahmad Kandoo alias Fayaz and another Hizb terrorist Mehrajudin Halwai who had plans to kill at least five more sarpanchs before Eid-ul-Fitr in Sangrama area. They had received orders directly from Hizb supremo Mohammad Yousf Shah alias Syed Salahudin based in Pakistan to kill the sarpanchs," the spokesman said.