Dhangri (Rajouri) Terror Attack: NIA charge sheet 5 including 3 Pak based LeT handlers

GNS ONLINE NEWS PORTAL 

SHYAM SOOD 

=Who executed the Dhangri terror attack is still a mystery ?

RAJOURI FEBRUARY 27:–After about 14 months long investigation into heinous terror attack in Dhangri village of Rajouri district, in which 7 people were killed on January 1 &2 in 2023, National Investigation Agency (NIA) charge sheeted five accused, including three absconding Pakistan-based handlers of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) outfit.
But there is no mention of the identity in the NIA’s official press release issued on Monday about those who had executed the Dhangri attack.
Pushing ahead with its efforts to destroy and dismantle the terrorist ecosystem in J&K, the NIA on Monday charge-sheeted five accused, including three absconding Pakistan-based handlers of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) outfit, in the Dhangri (Rajouri) attacks case of January 2023.
After several protests & resentment among the people, the Home Minister had handed over the Dhangri attack case to the NIA.
The NIA had registered a case in Jammu vide RC-01 & 02/2023/NIA/JMU, relating to a heinous terror attack on civilians at village Dhangri, 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.
The accused charged by NIA include LeT handlers identified as Saifullah @ Sajid Jutt @ Ali @ Habibullah @ Numan @ Langda @Noumi, Mohd Qasim, and Abu Qatal @ Qatal Sindhi.
Abu Qatal and Sajit Jutt are Pakistani nationals while Qasim had exfiltrated to Pakistan sometime around 2002 and had joined the LeT terrorist ranks there.
NIA investigations revealed that the trio had orchestrated the recruitment and dispatch of LeT terrorists from Pakistan to target innocent civilians, particularly from the minority community as well as security personnel in J&K .
The attacks were carried out under the directions of these Pakistan-based handlers.
Saifullah @ Sajid Jutt is currently a highly placed LeT Commander and was responsible for engineering the overall conspiracy from Pakistan, along with the other two and Mohd Qasim presently is his right hand.
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 @ Haji Nisar and Mushtaq Hussain @ Chacha, both Overground workers (OGWs) of the LeT and are residents of Mohra, Gursai in Tehsil Mendhar of district Poonch. Both were arrested during the investigations by the NIA.
It was found during investigations that both along with a juvenile, who was also apprehended by the NIA, had provided logistical support to the terrorists on the directions of Abu Qatal.
All 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 consignment of arms, ammunition and cash sent by the Pakistan based handlers for the terrorists.
Investigations have revealed that Nisar had met 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 UA(P) Act and various sections of IPC.
“The Final Report against the apprehended juvenile will be submitted to the Hon’ble Juvenile Justice Board, Rajouri in due course,” NIA press note reads.