Pulwama attack: Maruti Suzuki engineers at ground zero to help probe

NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency is looking for local Jaish-e-Muhammed terrorist Mudassir Ahmad Khan for his suspected role in the Pulwama attack, even as it believes that the military grade explosives (RDX) for the bombing might have been brought by one of the groups that infiltrated through the international border in Jammu.

A recent report by NIA on infiltration from Jammu border said that over 35 Jaish and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists had crossed over in the past more than a year.

“We are yet to interrogate any person suspected to be associated with the bombing, but it is our understanding that the planning had taken some months, explosives smuggled in tranches from Jammu border and specialised IED makers travelled to assemble it,” said an officer requesting anonymity.


Sources said Mudassir Khan’s name has been shared by intelligence agencies for being part of the group that executed the bombing and they expect him to give more leads about when the explosives, IED maker(s) and those who supervised the attack travelled to India.

The agency is also taking help of Maruti Suzuki engineers to identify the owners of the Eeco van used in the blast. A metal plate having some numbers on it was found from the blast site. The engineers, who travelled to Srinagar on Monday, are now ascertaining the vehicle’s year of manufacturing, the showroom it was supplied to and the person who bought it.

The video clip of bomber Aadil Ahmad Dar, through which JeM claimed responsibility for the attack, is also being examined by experts from the Chandigarh forensic laboratory as he appears to be reading a script. “The video is being examined for any superimposition, voiceover and modulation,” said an officer.

NIA and J&K police have also examined some local Kashmiris, including those who have operated as over-ground workers (OGWs) for terror outfits in the past, to get clues about the perpetrators.