Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 25: Police on Thursday claimed to have arrested two hardcore Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) militants, including a Pakistan-trained area commander of the outfit from Udhampur area. According to PBI, the militants, identified as Bashir Ahmed Lohar, alias Bilal alias Rafiq resident of Kuddhar, Dessa hailing from Doda and Ashiq Hussain, alias Shameem, resident of Koushall (district Kishtwar), were nabbed Wednesday during a specific search operation in village Thanowa near Udhampur town. Police sources told PBI that Bashir Ahmed Lohar, a self-styled area commander of HM, was trained in Pakistan and Afghanistan from 1991 to 1993 and was expert in carrying out IED explosions. Lohar's brother, Ghulam Hassan was also a Pakistan trained militant and was killed by the security forces in a counter insurgency operation. Ashiq Hussain, a local militant, was a close associate of Bashir Lohar, sources claimed. Both militants, police said, were planning to carry out a terrorist strike in Udhampur town. During questioning, police said militants had revealed their area of operation and said that they planned to carry out subversive activities in the state.
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