NIA charges JeM chief Masood Azhar, others for April 22 Sunjwan attack

NIA said the terrorists were sent by Jaish leadership to carry out suicide attacks at vital installations in Jammu region to disrupt PM Modi’s visit on April 24

NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday filed a charge sheet against Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar, his brother Rouf Asghar Alvi and 10 others in the April 22 terror attack in Sunjuwan, in which a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) jawan and two Jaish terrorists were killed in a six-hour long gun battle.

Two terrorists, who were believed to be on a suicide attack mission, were killed in the six-hour-long gunbattle with security forces (AFP File Photo/Representative)

The terrorists, according to the NIA, were sent by Jaish leadership to carry out an suicide attack at vital installations in Jammu region to disrupt the scheduled visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 24.

Besides Azhar and his brother, the federal anti-terror probe agency has named three terrorists’ launching commanders - Shahid Latif (who was the main handler in February 14, 2019 Pulwama attack as well), Masood Illyas Kashmiri and Mohammad Mussdaiq alias Doctor (all based in Pakistan) and Kashmir based operatives – Shafeeq Ahmad Sheikh, Bilal Ahmad Wagay, Ishaq Chopan, Abid Mushtaq Mir and Asif Ahmad Sheikh. The two suicide attackers who were sent from Pakistan and killed by security forces have also been named but charges against them stand abated.

A NIA spokesperson said the two suicide attackers infiltrated into India through a tunnel, which was excavated on the International Border in the area falling under border out post (BOP) Chack Faqira in the Samba sector in Jammu and Kashmir.

The attackers, spokesperson said, were sent “with an intention to disrupt the scheduled visit of the Prime Minister in the Jammu region of J&K. The movement of the said terrorists was intercepted by the security forces and both terrorists were killed in an encounter with the security forces in the area of Sunjuwan”.

Investigations revealed that Shafeeq, Bilal, Ishaq, Abid and Asif Ahmad entered into a criminal conspiracy with two freshly infiltrated Pakistani JeM terrorists and JeM leadership including Masood Azhar Alvi, Rouf Asgar Alvi alias Abdul Rouf Asgar and JeM’s launching commanders in the furtherance of which they received, transported and provided logistic support to newly infiltrated JeM terrorists who came to execute a suicidal attack.