The Hindu : Front Page : Delhi celebrations on Lashkar hit list

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 28, 2007
ePaper

Front Page

Front Page

Delhi celebrations on Lashkar hit list

Staff Reporter

Militants held at Dilli Haat were out to target 1857 anniversary events: Police

PRIZE CATCH: The three alleged Lashkar-e-Taiba militants held in police custody on Friday. - PHOTO: SANDEEP SAXENA

NEW DELHI: Interrogation of the three alleged Lashkar-e-Taiba militants arrested by the Special Cell of the Delhi police near Dilli Haat on Thursday evening has revealed that they were planning to target functions being organised to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the First War of Independence. The three had been sent here allegedly at the instance of Abu Al Kama, the mastermind of the October 2005 pre-Diwali serial blasts in the Capital.

The Delhi police received a tip-off that Al Kama, who fled to Pakistan after the October 2005 blasts, had directed Abu Ammar, a Pakistan national based in Doda as the LeT operational chief commander in Jammu region, to carry out explosions in Delhi. Probing further, they found that Ammar had asked one Shafaqat Iqbal Mir to deliver a consignment of explosives to a Pakistani militant in Delhi.

The suspect and another terrorist, Shabbir Ahmed, were allegedly handing over the consignment to the Pakistani terrorist when they were arrested near Dilli Haat here on Thursday evening.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Karnal Singh said on Friday that during interrogation the Pakistani national identified himself as Mohammad Hasan alias Abu Qasim.

He joined the terrorist outfit in 2002 after being motivated by another Pakistani national, Asad. He then underwent training in handling of arms and explosives at Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Earlier this year he was trained by Suhaib Khalid to configure improvised explosive devices before he went to Nepal from Karachi in April by air.

He was received there by another LeT militant operating under the code name Vinod. They crossed over to India and went to Patna, where they met another LeT conduit with the code name Raj.

He and Raj then came to Delhi by the Magadh Express on Thursday. The other two militants came here with the consignment of explosives in a Tata Sumo jeep the same day from Jammu and Kashmir, Mr. Singh added.

After receiving the consignment, Qasim was to take it to a hideout fixed by Raj and configure the IEDs. Qasim had allegedly been directed to carry out explosions at functions being organised as part of the First War of Independence anniversary celebrations.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page