Kashmir: Indian police bust Islamic terror cell smuggling weapons from Pakistan

The police in the northern Indian region of Kashmir have busted an Islamic terror cell involved in the smuggling of weapons from neighboring Pakistan. The five suspects arrested by the police are affiliated to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a Pakistan-based jihadi group with ties to Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban regime.

Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), along with terrorist groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), have declared jihad on India in a bid to create an Islamic state in the Muslim-majority Kashmir region.

The mass killings of native Hindus and Sikhs by Islamic terrorists in the early 1990s forced the region’s non-Muslim population to flee to other parts of India, rendering Kashmir over 90 percent Muslim. The murderous jihad, backed and armed by Pakistan, continues to this day.

The news comes as India’s top law enforcement agency, Enforcement Directorate, exposed a terror-financing operation run by Hizbul Mujahideen, another terrorist group active in Kashmir. Last year, Indian secutiry services busted a series of Islamic charities involved in financing jihad terrorism.

“The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday said it has filed a money laundering charge-sheet in connection with a terror financing case in Kashmir and has named some Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists in the complaint,” the Indian newspaper Deccan Herald reported January 27. “The accused named in it include Mudasir Ahmad Sheikh, Mushtaq Ahmad Kambay and Mohammed Iqbal Khan, it said.”

“Jammu and Kashmir Police bursts terror module in Kupwara, arrests five associates,” India TV, January 27, 2024:

Kupwara Police on Saturday busted a terror module and arrested five terror associates in Karnah district. The module was involved in the smuggling of arms and ammunition in the region.

“Acting on credible information from sources and corroborated by other sister agencies and counterparts, Kupwara Police along with 09PARA Field Regiment has busted a terror module involved in smuggling of various arms and ammunition sent by two POK based LeT terrorist handlers namely Manzoor Ahmad Sheikh alias Shakoor S/o Wali Mohammad Seikh R/o Gabra Karnah and Qazi Mohammad Khushal S/o Qazi Syed Yaseen R/o Dhanni Karnah. Both were operating from across the border. The police also arrested Zahoor Ahmad Bhat S/o Noor Hussain Bhat R/o Rear Sudhpora Karnah from whom so far various incriminating materials like one AK Rifle, one AK Magazine, 20 AK Rounds, 2 pistols and 2 pistol magazine.

“According to preliminary investigations, two handlers were in touch with Zahoor, hailing from a village in proximity to LoC,” the statement read. The consignments dispatched from the across the border were delivered to other terror associates who were in contact with Bhat and the above mentioned handlers as well.

“Based on the further leads, four more terror associates namely Khursheed Ahmad Rather S/o Lt. Mohd Yousuf Rather R/o Gabra, Karnah; Mudassir Shafiq S/o Shafiq Ahmad R/o Gabra, Karnah; Ghulam Sarwar Rather S/o Mohd Yousuf Rather R/o Gabra Karnah and Qazi Fazal Illahi S/o Qazi Mohammad Anwar have also been arrested, arms and ammunition and other incriminating material including 5 AK Rifle (Short), 5 AK Magazines and 16 Short AK Rounds….