Poonch: The Indian Army has captured Lashkar-e-Taiba operative Izhar Hussain alias Syed Zahir Hussain in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir. A resident of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Hussain was handed over to the Poonch police after a thorough interrogation, which revealed a discreet terrorist infiltration plot.
During interrogation by the Indian Army, Hussain revealed that he has three brothers, the eldest of whom is now retired from the Pakistan Army's PoK regiment. He lives with his two brothers in occupied Kashmir and had relatives in the Surankote area of Poonch district. He acted as a guide for the LeT terror outfit in Poonch
Terrorists offered him cigarettes, money
Hussain said he was told to undertake a recce across the Line of Control (LoC) by the LeT handlers. He met four terrorists - identified as Sultan Bhai, Abbas Bhai, Subedar and Chand Hussain - who offered him cigarettes and money for undertaking recce across the LoC. Hussain was asked to check the Indian Army's presence at the border and the three-tiered fencing system known as the Anti-Infiltration Obstacle System (AIOS).
A top source confirmed to India TV that a battalion of the Pakistan Army has been deployed in the Satwal area and its troops are present on the other side of the LoC in civil dress. The Pakistan Army are also reportedly colluding with terrorists and using drones to conduct a recce of the targeted area.
Hussain working for LeT for 8 years
Sources also claimed that Izhar Hussain is a resident of the Tatrinote area located on the LoC and has been working for LeT for eight years. A top source in the security forces said the interrogation revealed he was a guide for the terror outfit and an "integral part of the terrorist ecosystem". He was undertaking recce in the targeted group to aid the infiltration efforts of the terror group and the Border Action Team of Pakistan at Tatrinote. After the multi-agency interrogation, he was handed over to the Poonch police.
Meanwhile, Indian Army and security forces have deployed more than 10 battalions and over 500 Special Forces operatives in the areas south of Pir Panjal range to tackle the terrorist activities prompted by the Pakistan Army, sources in security agencies said. Troops have now been moved to carry out searches in the forested areas with a proactive approach to take out terrorists who have been hiding in natural caves and man-made underground hideouts.
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