Top Hizb terrorist nabbed in Delhi

Delhi Police have arrested a Hizb-ul-Mujahideen terrorist, Javed Ahmed Mattu, who was on India's wanted list. He is an A++ category terrorist and is wanted in 11 known terror attacks in Kashmir. The police recovered a pistol, cartridges, and a stolen car from his possession. Mattu was apprehended while trying to collect arms and ammunition in Delhi-NCR.

The special cell of Delhi Police on Thursday said it has arrested a Hizb-ul-Mujahideen terrorist on India’s wanted list from the Nizamuddin area and recovered a 9mm star pistol along with six cartridges, an extra magazine and a stolen car from his possession.

Top Hizb terrorist nabbed in Delhi

According to police, the 32-year-old man, identified as Javed Ahmed Mattu, is among the top 10 terrorists designated by the Union home ministry.

MHA lists terrorists under different categories — A++, A+, A, and B. An A++ category terrorist is first on the hit list of security forces.

Special commissioner of police (special cell) HGS Dhaliwal said that Mattu was an A++ category terrorist wanted in 11 known terror attacks in Kashmir and carried a reward of more than ₹10 lakh.

“A few days ago, information was received about the possible arrival of a wanted terrorist from the banned outfit Hizb-ul-Mujahideen to Delhi-NCR to collect arms and ammunition... Sources keeping tabs on sleeper cells and weapon suppliers were activated. On Thursday morning, information was received that Mattu, a resident of Sopore, would come to Delhi to collect arms and ammunition from his associates at the behest of Pakistan’s ISI. It was also informed that his Pakistan-based handler would be coordinating the delivery so that Mattu could carry out some terror strikes in Valley and other places. Accordingly in coordination with other central agencies, including NIA and IB, a team led by Pramod Singh Kushwah, additional commissioner of police, was formed and Mattu was apprehended,” Dhaliwal said.

On the run

He added that Mattu, who also goes by the names Irsad Ahmed Malla and Mohammad Ehsan, is a college dropout.

“He was evading arrest for the last 13 years and is a key member of the gang of seven dreaded terrorists of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen operating in north Kashmir, particularly in Sopore. After getting injured in an exchange of fire with security forces, he went underground and fled to Nepal on the instructions of his Pakistan-based sponsors as the Jammu & Kashmir Police were on a hunt for him. Besides being involved in five grenade attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, he was also involved in killing five police personnel and causing injuries to dozens of others,” Dhaliwal.

According to the criminal dossier of Mattu, he was involved in the killing of CID officer Mohammad Yousuf and two CRPF personnel in Pattan and snatching their service rifles in 2010.

In 2012, he was injured while he and other cadres of the outfit attacked Sopore Police, which resulted in some disability to him.

Giving more details of the top terrorists of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Kushwah said that Abdul Qayyum Nazar, Tarik Ahmed Lone, Mehraj Halwai and Waseem Guru were killed at different locations in Jammu & Kashmir in encounters with the Indian security forces.