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| India-Pakistan |
| Fidayeen Attack on Azad foiled |
| 2007-04-14 |
| Security agencies have claimed to have foiled a fidayeen attack on the chief minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, saying that the timely detection of the Lashkar-e-Taiba plot to assassinate Azad had averted a major tragedy. A Congress worker and his wife, allegedly deputed to conduct the attacker to the dais, have been arrested in Ramban, where the attack was supposed to have taken place during Azad's rally. According to security sources, a Pakistani fidayee had entered Ramban on the night of April 11, and gone underground with an AK 47 rifle and a grenade, right at the time the police and intelligence agencies unraveled a plot to attack Azad during a rally in the Ramban town. Though the chief minister ultimately attended his first rally at the headquarters of the newly created Ramban district, his security was personally supervised by the IGP Jammu, DIG Udhampur-Doda range, and the SSP Ramban. The police have declared a red alert from Banihal to Ramban on the Srinagar-Jammu Highway, and have launched a hunt for the elusive fidayee. Official sources said that following intelligence reports that the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba was planning to target Azad during the Ramban rally, the police picked up a Congress worker and his wife minutes before the function started. The suspects, Farooq Ahmad Wani and his wife, Haseena Begum, were arrested when they were roaming in the vicinity of the venue. A Congress party I-card has been recovered from Wani, but the police have not yet established whether it is genuine or fake, the sources said. Following the couple's interrogation late into yesterday night, the police arrested two more persons, Akhtar Malik, and Abd-ur-Rasheed, both from Banihal. They are reported have told the police that Wani and his wife had been entrusted with the task of conducting the attacker to the dais where Azad would be speaking. According to the police, Wani was given the responsibility because he carried an identity card of the Congress party. Policemen in plain clothes had already been stalking Wani and his wife, but delayed their arrest because they wanted to lay hands on the fidayee attacker as well, sources said. But finally the concerns about the security of the VIP (Azad) forced the police to move in on the couple without further delay. The news about the arrest spread like wildfire, and the fidayee aborted his mission, the police said. According to security sources, Wani has told his interrogators that the fidayee had been given the deadly assignment by the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba's divisional commander for Banihal and Ramban, Abu Uqasa. The police said that during questioning, the arrested foursome had divulged that Akhtar and Abd-ur-Rasheed were to accompany the fidayee from Banihal to Ramban, and Wani and his wife had to take him to the dais. It further said that immediately after learning about Azad's proposed Ramban rally last week, the Lashkar commander had contacted Wani and Akhtar, and ordered them to make the necessary arrangements with regard to the fidayee attack. Police sources say that the planned attack could have several strands linking other players and places, and that further arrests were expected. The security forces and the police have fanned out into several villages around Ramban, but no trace of the fidayee has been found. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 Following the couple's interrogation late into yesterday night, the police arrested two more persons, Akhtar Malik, and Abd-ur-Rasheed, both from Banihal that should've triggered the pliars and blowtorch pic. |
| Posted by: Frank G 2007-04-14 08:33 |