A class 12th dropout who was studying at an Islamic seminary, Siraj-ul-Uloom, in Shopian district turned into a Jaish-e-Mohammad commander. Sajad Bhat was on Tuesday, June 18, killed by the security forces in an encounter in Marhama village of Anantnag district after a tip-off about the presence of the militants in the area.
Sajad Bhat had reportedly given his car to be used in the Pulwama terror attack on February 14 that led to the killing of 44 CRPF personnel.
Few days after the attack, Sajad, who was also a resident of the marhama village went missing from his home and joined the Jaish outfit that claimed the responsibility of the Pulwama attack. Sajad's picture where he was spotted carrying an AK-47 rifle also went viral on the internet.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) raided Sajad's house after the preliminary investigations into the case but he had reportedly fled the spot. NIA later issued a statement that said, "NIA investigators, with the support of forensic and automobile experts, have been able to identify the vehicle used for the blast. A Maruti Ecco vehicle...was sold to Md. Jaleel Ahmed Haqani a resident of Heaven colony, Anantnag, in 2011. It subsequently exchanged hands seven times and finally reached Sajjad Bhat, son of Md Maqbool Bhat resident of Bijbehara, District Anantnag who had acquired the vehicle on 4 February 2019."
The Pulwama terror attack, which was carried by the suicide bomber, Adil Ahmad Dar on a fleet of buses ferrying CRPF soldiers who were travelling from Jammu to Srinagar on JK National Highway led to increased hostilities between India and Pakistan.
Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi said that he had ordered for air strikes at Balakot region in Pakistan to avenge the Pulwama attack which according to them, led to the killing of 200-300 Jaish militants. Pakistan also retaliated with the air strikes in J&K and claimed to down two Indian fighter jets as well as capturing the Indian Air Force Officer Abhinandan alive.
