Dhangri terror attack: NIA chargesheets five terrorists; three PAK- based handlers among them

Nearly fourteen months after the gruesome back-to-back terror attacks on members of the minority community in the Dhangri village of the border district of Rajouri, the National Investigation Agency on Monday charge-sheeted five terrorists in this case.

Among those chare-sheeted, three terrorists are based in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).

According to the spokesperson of the NIA, pushing ahead with its efforts to destroy and dismantle the terrorist ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday charge-sheeted five accused, including three absconding Pakistan-based handlers of the proscribed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) outfit, in the Rajouri attacks case of January 2023.

The case RC-01 & 02/2023/NIA/JMU, relates to a heinous terror attack on civilians at village Dhangri, district Rajouri on 1st January 2023, followed by an IED blast the next day.

Seven innocent people, including two children, were killed and several others severely injured in the attacks.

Those chare-sheeted namely Saifullah alias Sajid Jutt, Mohammad Qasim, Abu Qatal, (all based in Pakistan), Nisar Ahmed alias Haji Nisar and Mushtaq Hussain alias Chacha, both Overground workers (OGWs) of the LeT.

Three of the charge-sheeted terrorists are LeT handlers, identified as Saifullah alias Sajid Jutt alias Ali alias Habibullah alias Numan alias Langda alias Noumi, Mohammad Qasim, and Abu Qatal alias Qatal Sindhi. While Abu Qatal and Sajid Jutt are Pakistani nationals, Qasim had ex-filtrated Pakistan sometime around 2002 and had joined the LeT terrorist ranks there.

Pak-based handlers orchestrated killings of members of minority community

As per investigations, the trio had orchestrated the recruitment and dispatch of LeT terrorists from Pakistan to target innocent civilians, particularly from the minority community in Jammu and Kashmir, as well as security personnel.

The attacks were carried out under the direction of these Pakistan-based handlers. Saifullah alias Sajid Jutt is currently a highly placed LeT commander and was responsible for engineering the overall conspiracy from Pakistan, along with the other two namely Mohammad Qasim is presently the right hand of highly placed LeT commanders.

Abu Qatal had come to India in 2002-03 and was active in the Poonch-Rajouri range, along with other terrorists. The other two charge-sheeted accused are Nisar Ahmed alias Haji Nisar and Mushtaq Hussain alias Chacha, both Overground workers (OGWs) of the LeT and are residents of Mohra Gursai, tehsil Mendhar of district Poonch.

Locals OGWs provided logistical support to Pak terrorists

The duo was arrested during the course of the investigations by the NIA. It was found during investigations that they had provided logistical support to the terrorists on the directions of Abu Qatal.

Along with a juvenile, who was also apprehended for aiding and abetting the perpetrators, they had provided food, shelter, and other types of logistics support to the terrorists for approximately three months following the attack in Dhangri.

They had also attempted to conceal evidence by destroying the mobile phone used for clandestine communication with the Pakistan-based LeT commanders.

Nisar had also received a consignment of arms, ammunition, and cash sent by the Pakistan-based handlers for the terrorists.

Investigations have revealed that Nisar had come in contact with Abu Qatal during the latter's stay in India. He had remained in touch with Abu Qatal even after the latter's return to Pakistan.

In the Chargesheet filed today, the two arrested adult accused and the Pak-based handlers have been charged under the UA(P)Act and various sections of IPC. The final report against the apprehended juvenile will be submitted to the Juvenile Justice Board, Rajouri in due course.

Seven civilians including two minors, two real brothers were killed in Dhangri attack

Seven people including two minor children were killed and 14 injured as terrorists attacked Dhangri on January 1 and January 2, 2023.

While five people, including two real brothers, were killed in the firing by terrorists, two children died when an improvised explosive device (IED) left behind by the attackers went off the next day.

Big security lapses were exposed when terrorists managed to trigger blasts through IEDs in the same house the next morning where they killed two persons on the previous evening.

While four people were gunned down on January 1 evening, two children were killed and several others injured after a suspected Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast occurred in the same vicinity in Rajouri's Dangri village on January 2, 2023 morning. One injured later succumbed to his injuries in GMC Jammu.