Udhampur attack mastermind Qasim gunned down
Top Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Abu Qasim, wanted for masterminding the Udhampur attack was executed in an overnight confrontation in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir by security forces. A joint team of the Police and Army carried out an operation pursuing a tip-off about Qasim's proximity in the area leading to a gun battle in which he was killed.
Two terrorists ambushed a BSF convoy on Jammu-Srinagar national highway in Udhampur killing two BSF soldiers and injuring 11 others on Wednesday. As told by Jammu IG Danish Rana, the militants hurled grenades and opened indiscriminate fire on the convoy when it reached the Nassu belt on its way from Jammu to Srinagar. This came days after the terrorist attack in Gurdaspur, Punjab.
One of the two terrorists involved in the attack was arrested while the other was killed during the retaliatory firing. The militant who fled the area under attack, took three persons hostage in a school in a village near the area. He was overpowered by the men he took hostage and who then turned him over to the security men.
The captured terrorist suspected to be a Lashkar-e-Taiba operative said, "I am from Pakistan and my partner was killed in the firing but I escaped. Had I been killed, it would have been Allah's doing. There is fun in doing this … I came to kill Hindus".
The captured terrorist was identified as Mohammed Naved from Pakistan's Faisalabad. He said his father's name is Mohammad Yakub. He has two brothers and one sister. One of the brothers is a lecturer at JC University in Pakistan. He said that they entered India 12 days ago The killed terrorist has been identified as Noman alias Nomi. He belongs to Bahawalpur in Pakistan.
Speaking in the Parliament, Home Minister Rajnath Singh strongly condemned the attack in Udhampur. He said, "This attack is an attempt by cross border terrorists to disrupt peace in Jammu and Kashmir". The Home Minister also expressed regret over the death of the two BSF troopers and said that the government is considering gallantry awards for their courage in limiting the damage.
Despite the speculation, the terror strikes in Gurudaspur and Udhampur have not deterred India from going ahead with the proposed NSA-level talks to be held in New Delhi on Aug 23-24.
Border Security Forces (BSF) paid tributes to soldiers Subhendu Roy and Rocky, who were killed during the Udhampur terror attack. Rocky, a BSF trooper emptied his magazine containing 40 bullets when two heavily armed militants attacked the BSF convoy and a bus carrying BSF personnel. His colleague and driver of the bus Subhendu Roy was also killed during the attack.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar gave the martyred BSF constable's family Rs 20 lakh honouring his valour during the terror attack at Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir.
