Two terrorists who were absconding for over 30 years were arrested by the Special Investigation Agency from Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district, officials said on Saturday (September 2).
The arrested terrorists were identified as Firdous Ahmad Wani and Khurshid Ahmad Malik, both hailing from Ghat village and Bharat village respectively. The duo were trained in Pakistan and were wanted by police for their involvement in militancy in their home district in the 1990s, they added.
A total of 10 terrorists who were absconding for decades have been arrested in the Jammu region since August 31. Most of them are the residents of Doda.
According to officials, the Special Investigation Agency (SIA), in pursuance of its larger objective and mandate of achieving “zero terrorism” in Jammu and Kashmir, has initiated a special drive to trace and produce before the court all absconders of terrorism-related cases for facing the trial under the law.
Out of a total of 734 absconders, including 417 in Kashmir and 317 in Jammu, who are wanted in 327 Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) and the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), SIA has so far verified and identified 369 absconders -- 215 in Jammu and 154 in Kashmir.
They added that out of 369 verified absconders, 80 have died, 45 are residing in Pakistan or Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and other countries, 127 remained untraced and four are lodged in jails.
(With PTI inputs)
