Narwal Twin Blasts: In a first, ‘perfume IED’ recovered from LeT terrorist

GOVT EMPLOYEE FROM REASI ARRESTED

03/02/2023

JAMMU, Feb 2: In a first, Jammu Police has recovered a perfume improvised explosive device (IED) from a terrorist associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba who was involved in the twin blasts that took place in Narwal on January 21.
The police arrested a terrorist identified as Arif who was in contact with the Pakistani handlers for three years.
As many as nine people were injured in the twin blasts that occurred in Narwal last month in a gap of 20 minutes.
The police said that the terrorists intended to kill as many people as possible.
The second IED, according to the police, could have caused bigger damage, which the terrorists intended, had the police not followed the SOPs.
"Two bombs were planted on January 20. Two blasts occurred on January 21 at a gap of 20 minutes to kill as many people as possible. 9 people were injured after the first IED blast. The damage that was intended could be averted because of the SOPs followed by the police. Otherwise, the damage could have been bigger because the first IED was small but the second IED was way bigger than the first. Police have arrested one terrorist Arif, who was in contact with Pakistan handlers for 3 years," Jammu and Kashmir DGP Dilbag Singh said while briefing the media about the incident.
Stating that this is the first such IED recovered by the police, the DGP explained that the IED would blast if an attempt is made to press or open it.
"This is the first time we have recovered a perfume IED. We have not recovered any perfume IED before. The IED will blast if anyone tries to press or open it. Our special team will handle that IED," he said.
DGP Singh targeted Pakistan for propagating terrorism from its land and said that the country wanted to create a "communal divide" among people in the Union Territory.
"Pakistan is infamous for propagating terrorism from its land and for killing hundreds of innocent people across the world. Jammu and Kashmir is on target for some time. They (Pakistan) want to create a communal divide among the people in Jammu and Kashmir," he said.
DGP said Arif has been involved in Shastri Nagar Blast and also Katra Bus blast apart from the Narwal twin blasts.
Speaking to ANI, DGP Singh said, "The accused got the supply of three IEDs towards the end of December. He used two IEDs in the Narwal area. He is working under the influence of Qasim, a Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist operating from Pakistan. He is responsible for recent terror activities in the area."
Meanwhile, soon after the blasts occurred on January 21, senior officials of the Army and Security Impact Analysis (SIA) teams also reached the site of the incident.
A team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) also reached Jammu on January 22 to hold an investigation at the site of two explosions in the industrial area Narwal.
The Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha also strongly condemned the blasts that took place in the Narwal area this morning. Senior police officials briefed the Lt Governor about the blast and on the state of the investigation. He called for urgent steps to identify and take action against those responsible.
"Such dastardly acts highlight the desperation and cowardice of those responsible. Take immediate and firm action. No efforts should be spared to bring the perpetrators to justice," the Lt Governor told the security officials.
LG Manoj Sinha also announced a relief of Rs 50,000 to those injured in the incident. The Lt Governor said that the administration would ensure the best possible treatment and extend every help required by the families.
Sheralli, an eyewitness of the blast, while narrating the harrowing incident said, "We were sitting inside a shop at that time of the blast. The car blew up and parts of it fell near the shop. A person was hit by one of those parts. The other blast took place half an hour later at some distance. Initially, people thought that it was a gas blast in the car but it sounded bigger than that. It was an SUV car and the mechanics were repairing it. "People are in panic now," she added.
The police investigation into the recent Dhangri terror attack case is on track to bring the culprits to book, Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Dilbag Singh said on Thursday, as one of the victim families announced an indefinite hunger strike from February 5 demanding justice.
Seven people were killed and 14 others injured when terrorists attacked Dhangri village of Rajouri district on the first day of January.
While five people, including two brothers, were killed in the terrorist firing, two children were died when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), left behind by the attackers, went off the next day.
"We are working on various leads (to crack the Dhangri case) and will share details at the right time," Singh told reporters in Jammu.
He congratulated Rajouri police for busting a module of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and arresting three of its members during investigation of cases related to recovery of IEDs at different places between January 8 and 18 in the district.
Meanwhile, 58-year-old Saroj Bala, a widow who lost both of her sons Deepak Sharma and Prince Sharma in the terror attack announced a hunger strike from February 5 to seek justice for the victims.
"One month has passed but the terrorists involved in the attack are still at large," Bala, who is now left alone in her family, told reporters.
She said the victim families are waiting for justice and "I have decided to sit on the hunger strike till the culprits are not brought to book."
She said Home Minister Amit Shah, Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and senior security officers had assured justice to the victims but "all their promises have fallen flat."
Dheeraj Sharma, Sarpanch of Dhangri Upper Panchayat, said the entire village is standing with the grieving mother.
"We stand with Bala and will join her in the hunger strike," he said.
Law enforcement agencies do not look at terror acts through the prism of religion, Jammu and Kashmir DGP Dilbag Singh said on Thursday, asserting that strict action will be taken against those found involved in such acts.
He said the recent terror attacks in Jammu region at the behest of handlers from across the border were aimed at reviving terrorism and harming the communal harmony and brotherhood in the Union territory.
"We work in accordance with law of the land and do not see (any terror-related incident) through the prism of religion. An accused is dealt with on the basis of the crime and not religion," Singh told reporters here.
He was replying to a question on reported remarks of Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif that worshippers were not killed during prayers even in India following a deadly bomb attack inside a mosque in Peshawar recently.
"Our government policy is very clear that terrorism has no religion and strict action should be taken against them (terrorists). Some people are trying to manipulate the situation and mislead the public, but we are sure that people have learnt a lot and will not be misled," he said.

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