Forest Department Employee Among 2 Arrested In J&K For Sheltering Terrorists

Reaffirming its zero-tolerance stance against anti-national activities, Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested two persons, including a Forest Department employee, from Kishtwar district for allegedly providing logistic support and safe hideouts to terrorists operating in that area.

The accused have been identified as Tariq Ahmed Ginoo, currently posted in the Forest Department, and Mohammad Iqbal. Both hail from the Tander area of Dachhan - a densely forested, mountainous belt of Kishtwar - notorious for its treacherous terrain. Their arrest is being viewed as a significant breakthrough in dismantling the terror support network entrenched in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district.

According to police, preliminary investigation indicates the duo played a pivotal role in facilitating the movement of local terror operatives, arranging clandestine hideouts and extending material assistance to terrorists traversing the upper reaches of Dachhan.

"It is due to individuals like them that terrorists manage to survive in such remote and inhospitable areas," said a senior security force officer.

The arrests were effected during the ongoing probe into a case registered at Kishtwar Police Station under stringent provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and the Arms Act.

This marks the second tranche of arrests in the case. Earlier, two other individuals from the Chatroo area of Kishtwar were also taken into custody for their suspected affiliation with the same terror module.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kishtwar, Naresh Singh, said the arrests culminated after weeks of meticulous groundwork and sustained technical surveillance. "Following a detailed and methodical investigation, we have zeroed in on these individuals. Our teams are working relentlessly to dismantle the entire ecosystem that aids and abets terrorism," SSP Singh stated.

He further asserted that the investigation remains expansive and ongoing. "Efforts are underway to identify, trace, and apprehend other overground workers and facilitators connected to this module. Anyone found complicit, regardless of position or influence, will face the fullest rigour of the law," he warned.

Police reiterated their unwavering resolve to choke terror logistics in the district, particularly in the forest belts of Dachhan and Marwah - areas that have historically been exploited by terrorists for transit and sanctuary.