SRINAGAR: The army man, whose body was found last week in central Kashmir’s Budgam district, was abducted and killed by Lashkar-e-Toiba militants, police said on Monday. They added that three militant associates involved in the killing of a sarpanch in Kulgam last week have been arrested.
“The police have solved a case pertaining to abduction and killing of an army jawan by arresting a militant associate linked to LeT,” a police official said. On March 7, body of the missing jawan Sameer Ahmad Malla was recovered from Khaag area, three days after he had gone missing from near his residence.
The police official said that during the investigation, specific leads were generated which led to the arrest of a one suspect, Ather Illahi Sheikh.
“During questioning, he confessed that on March 6, three LeT militants came to his house and stayed there for the night and the next day, the jawan was called by to his residence, from where he was kidnapped by the four. Thereafter, he was taken to the spot from where the body was ultimately retrieved,” he said. Police have recovered the shovel used to bury the body.
The official said police have also solved a case pertaining to the killing of sarpanch Shabir Ahmad Mir by militants at Adoora, Kulgam in south Kashmir on March 11.
“During investigation, it was learnt that an active HM militant Farooq Nali alias Umer had received directions from Pakistani handlers to target PRI members of Kulgam.
On their directions, he identified the target and gave direction to HM militants Mushtaq Itoo alias Faizan and Zubair Sofi alias Farhan to execute the act with the support of their associates Danish Ahmad Dar, Faisal Hameed Wagay and Nisar Rashid Bhat,” the police official said.
He said after strenuous efforts, police arrested the three militant associates involved in the killing of sarpanch. He added that more arrests and recoveries are expected.