In what could come across as a major breakthrough for India in further cornering Pakistan on the issue of terrorism, the NIA today said that LeT terrorist and Pakistani national Bahadur Ali, who was arrested in North Kashmir last month, was regularly guided by the control room of terrorist groups in PoK with the help of Pakistani forces.
To drive home its point, the NIA also released a confessional video of Bahadur Ali where he identifies his handlers in Pakistan. In the video Ali can be heard saying, “There were 30-50 trainees from different parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan at the LeT's training camps. Pakistani military officers came to meet me while I was leaving for India. They were referred to as Major Saab and Captain Saab.”
During the interrogation, Ali said that there were a few army officers in civilian clothes who checked their preparedness with a check-list.
Briefing the media, NIA IG Sanjeev Kumar informed that Ali crossed into Indian side on either 11th or 12th June along with two LeT cadres.
“We have collected all kinds of evidences. Bahadur Ali was directed to take advantage of current situation in Kashmir. Recovered articles show that terrorist was provided great refs in codes. It shows very highly trained people trained him,” Kumar told media here.
Ali was recruited by Jamaat-ud-Dawa, subsequently LeT radicalised him. He underwent all three training process organised by LeT, he said, adding that the agency was probing the role of LeT in the present unrest in Kashmir Valley which has come up after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani.
“Arms and ammunitions training given to LeT terrorist Bahadur Ali show the involvement of military experts. Bahadur Ali said that there were 30-50 trainees at training camps of LeT from different parts of the countries including Afghanistan, Pakistan,” the NIA official said.
Ali was caught on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir on July 25. A Pakistani national, Ali has been involved in militancy for nearly two months. He was caught during a gunfight in Kupwara district. He had earlier told police that he belongs to Lahore.
