‘They Don’t Stay in Houses, But in Caves’: Cops Find Hideouts of Terrorists Who Attacked Army Truck | Exclusive

The picture of green colored soft drink bottles, blue polythene bags, vegetable peels lying at the mouth of the stony building must be looking like a pile of garbage to you. But as the eyes adjust to the glare of the sun, you see an opening. Police believe the cave was home to terrorists who attacked an army truck in Poonch on April 22, killing five soldiers.

Faisal Khan, a policeman who knows the area like the back of his hand, says that there are hundreds of natural caves in the hills of Poonch, which are being used by terrorists as hideouts. “They have changed their strategy now. They do not live in the houses of the villagers. They live in these caves… sometimes even leave their weapons, hide their ammunition here and then go to the nearby markets,” says Khan.

When News18 reached the cave after a 6 km trek from the nearest Gursai Mora village, the police were scanning the spot for the ninth time in search of clues. The drugs recovered from the cave and statements by over ground workers (OGWs), who allegedly helped the terrorists with supplies, logistics and information, have established the identity of the terrorists as Pakistanis.

“There were probably three to four terrorists in this cave. The height inside is enough to allow a person to sit comfortably… the depth is also good,” said Khan, even as his aide entered the cave with a torch, to see As for whether any other clues can be found.

After going down a few steps from this cave, the mouth of another cave was visible. Poonch police have recovered a mattress from near it. It is suspected that a terrorist was guarded in the second cave as it provided a clear 360-degree view of the valley below.

The hiding places among the rocks and thorny bushes could only be seen by someone with precise knowledge of these parts.

OGW

Police arrested OWG Nisar, his uncle Mushtaq, his minor brother Bilala and another relative Fareed for helping the terrorists. News 18 met Mushtaq’s wife Shahnaz Akhtar in the village below the hideout. When asked about Mushtaq, she says, “He is dead to us.” “Only Mushtaq and Nisar know why the army took them away. Since then I have not met him. Two of her sons work as cattle herders in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, she says. The house is modest but has a solid structure.

Nisar’s house was about eight minutes walk from Mushtaq’s house. Nisar is suspected to be the main OGW conspiring with the terrorists. His wife Shamim and daughter Azra claim he is innocent. “They also took away my minor son. He had just given his Class 10 exams… He was only 17,” said Shamim, wiping away her tears.

There are serious allegations against his son Bilal. Investigators say he was tech-savvy and helped terrorists navigate the app, which gave them accurate information to their handlers in Pakistan. Ajra says that the police took away the mobile phones of everyone in the family. “They brought Nisar twice and took him to those parts,” says Azra as she points to the cave hideout – a hill overlooking Pakistani territory.

This proximity to the border, dense forests and local people’s support for the terrorists has proved to be a game changer for the security grid as militancy is raising its head after a long gap in Rajouri and Poonch.

About 20 terrorists are still feared to be hiding in these parts. The use of wireless technology that allows them to bypass Indian agencies and contact their handlers is a challenge. Investigators are also probing whether Nisar and Bilal had helped drop a Pakistani drone consignment or arms and ammunition days before the Poonch truck attack.

Ahead of the G20 meeting in Srinagar on May 22, the Army, paramilitary forces and Jammu and Kashmir Police are doing their best to ensure that no incident derails the visit of the foreign dignitaries. But Security Grid acknowledges the threat extends beyond the G20.