Major JeM Plot Foiled, Militant Associate Arrested

SRINAGAR: Police in Kashmir have thwarted a major militant attack plot by arresting a militant associate of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) who was working as a driver in a five-star hotel.

Farooq Ahmad Wani, son of Abdul Rashid Wani, was arrested from the hotel where he worked in Baramulla district last week. During the interrogation, police discovered that Wani was in contact with his handlers in Pakistan and had sent pictures and other details of some of the 5-star hotels in Kashmir where high-profile guests, including Union Ministers, top leaders, and senior officials stay.

The arrest comes ahead of the G20 group meeting in Srinagar from May 22 to May 24. The security has been tightened around the hotels in Srinagar and other places as there is a serious input about a possible militant strike in Kashmir. The police recovered a grenade from Wani’s possession, and he is being questioned, providing leads to the authorities.

The security review meeting in Srinagar was conducted by the Additional Director General of Police Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, focusing on the emerging threat of Vehicle-Based Improvised Explosive Devices (VBIEDs) and other potential modes of militant attacks, including Fidayeen.

The presence of a militant in a 5-star hotel and the audacious attack in Poonch last month on Army has led to elite Marine Commandos (MARCOS) and National Security Guards (NGS) being placed for the security of the G20 Group meeting in Srinagar. The official clarified that the hotel management had no knowledge of Wani’s militant links, and he had developed links several months after working in the hotel.