Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi still active in Pakistan; Lashkar module busted in Kashmir

SRINAGAR: The jailed mastermind of 26/11 Mumbai attack, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, is still active, commanding the main Lashkar-e-Taiba communication centre from within Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, with one of his five jailed associates, Hanzullah, given the task of reviving terror groups in Jammu & Kashmir through Fahadullah, Pakistani Lashkar commander in Sopore, north Kashmir. This came to light after J&K police busted a recruitment module of LeT and arrested seven local recruits to the terror outfit on Wednesday.

"Local militants were recruited with the aim of building a network of LeT operatives to be tasked with executing various terrorist acts," said Sopore SP, Imtiyaz Hussain. "They were in criminal conspiracy with one Pakistani terrorist, Fahadullah, who operates from Sopore. Fahadullah was receiving directions from one Hanzullah, a LeT commander based in Pakistani jail," he added.

The Jamat-Ud Dawa chief and five of his Lashkar associates are being tried inside the Adiala jail by a judge of the anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi. However, reliable sources on conditions of anonymity said Lakhvi and his five associates live a life of luxury inside Adiala jail, with the accused in possession of sophisticated communication gadgets which they use for passing on instructions to their men operating in the Valley.

According to SP Husain, Fahadullah is the only surviving LeT terrorist of Pakistani origin in Sopore still active. After being indoctrinated with jihadi ideology, the arrested group of seven local boys had formally joined LeT and were provided with communication gadgets and weaponry. Before joining the organization, the members of the module were assigned various tasks of couriering weapons and money, identifying the targets like security installations and arranging communication devices.

Identifying the gang of seven local Lashkar members, SP Hussain said, "The police arrested Umar Rashid Shala of Sidiq colony, Sopore; Shabir Ahmad Shosha, alias Waseem; Farooq Ahmad Sheikh alias Sajad resident of Bona Lalad; Mudasir Majeed Dar alias Ammar of Bona Lalad; Amir Bashir War alias Mahi resident of Umarabad Warpora, Sopore; Reyaz Ahmad Dhobi of Model Town, Sopore; and, Maroof Ahmad Lone of Hadipora, Sopore."

The SP said some members of the module were preparing to visit Pakistan on legal documents to get further training in bomb making and other terrorist activities, while others were preparing other terrorist actions including grenade attacks on VIP rallies and attacks on police and security forces.

"Facing dearth of foreign terrorists, LeT is desperate to recruit Kashmiri youth by indoctrinating them with radical ideology," said Imtiyaz. "The people of the area provided timely inputs which lead to the arrest of this terrorist gang." The police recovered one Pika gun with ammunition, two Chinese-made pistols with magazine, detonators, rocket launchers and hand grenades.