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Sunday, December 18, 2016

Bank robberies in Kashmir

Same LeT module behind bank robberies in Kashmir: Police
CCTV footage reveals identity of three militants
·         Hindustan Times (Jalandhar)
·         17 Dec 2016
·         Abhishek Saha abhishek.saha@hindustantimes.com 
SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Police on Friday said the armed men who robbed a bank in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Thursday, have been identified as militants of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), from the CCTV footage recovered from the spot.



The militants looted around ₹10 lakh – of which around ₹16,000 was in demonetised notes and the rest in new currency – from a Jammu and Kashmir Bank branch in Ratnipora area.

An internal inquiry report of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) says the deceased,identified as Abdullah Haroon from Pakistan,was a LeT militant suspected to be involved in the murder of India's famous cardiologist and former Director of Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Science (SKIMS),Soura Dr Sheikh Jalal-ud-din in Pampore in July.

The CCTV footage shows the gunmen roughing up people in the bank. Speaking to HT, Pulwama superintendent of police Rayees Mohammad Bhat said, “After analysing the CCTV footage, we have been able to clearly identify the three militants involved in the robbery.”
“It is a module of the LeT and has been active for a year now,” Bhat said. The module comprises three militants: two foreigners— Abu Ali and Abu Ismail — and a local militant, Arif Dar, Bhat added.

In the Ratnipora robbery, police say Abu Ali and Arif Dar had entered the bank while two others waited outside. This was the third incident of bank robbery in the Valley after demonetisation and Bhat said the same LeT module has been behind all of them.

On November 21, suspected militants robbed a bank in Chrar-e-Sharief area of central Kashmir's Budgam district and escaped with nearly ₹14 lakh cash.

Days later, Pulwama police arrested five over-ground workers of the LeT, who had helped the three militants in the robbery. Police had then said, in its press statement, that the conspiracy of robbing was hatched and masterminded by Arif Dar, Abu Ali and Abu Ismail.

On December 8, four militants looted a branch of Jammu and Kashmir Bank at Arihal in Pulwama district and fired several rounds before fleeing with cash. They decamped with nearly ₹14 lakh from the bank.

On repeated attacks on banks in Kashmir after demonetisation, Bhat said, “It is because of the demonetisation of ₹500 and ₹1000 notes.” He claimed the militant outfits have been facing a cash crunch after demonetisation, and hence, looting banks to get funds.

After analysing the CCTV footage, we have identified three militants. It is a module of the LeT, which has been active for a year. The module comprises three militants — two foreigners, Abu Ali and Abu Ismail and a local militant Arif Dar. RAYEES MOHAMMAD BHAT , Pulwama SP