Jammu: The driver of the truck transporting three foreign terrorists which was intercepted by police at Nagrota on the outskirts of Jammu on Friday morning has been identified as Sameer Dar, a cousin of February 14, 2019 Pulwama attack suicide bomber Adil Dar.
Three Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists were killed and a policeman sustained injuries in the encounter after the truck they were travelling in was intercepted by the police at a toll plaza on Jammu-Srinagar national highway.
The incident took place at around 5.45 am when a police team conducting a vehicle check near the toll booth intercepted the truck.
Three over ground workers of terrorists including the driver and conductor were also arrested.
The driver was identified as Salim Ahmed Dar, a resident of Pulwama district of south Kashmir. He is the cousin of Adil Dar, who planted IEDs resulting in the blast and killing 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, ADG Dilbagh Singh said.
“The terrorists were headed to Kashmir, probably as a replacement for top leadership of JeM including its chief Qari Yasir killed by security forces last month,” he said. “It was a group of terrorists that had recently infiltrated from Kathua, Hiranagar border.”
He said, “One of the three killed was their leader because such weapons can only be in the possession of a big terrorist or their chief. The NIA has not been assigned the case as the police will look into it.”
Salim has reportedly done a Masters in Geology from Kashmir University.
All the three arrested over ground workers are currently being interrogated.
After the encounter was over a large quantity of arms and ammunition including wireless sets, five AK-47, a US-made sniper rifle, five pistols and over two dozen hand grenades from the terrorists