A joint team of the Delhi and Jammu police on Saturday shot dead the divisional commander of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), Saifullah Qari.
The dead JeM man had allegedly masterminded the attack on the Ayodhya shrine on July 5, 2005. Six armed terrorists Abu Umar, Arfat, Mohammed Amin, Zubair, Arshad Ali and Arif of Pakistan tried to storm the high-security makeshift Ram temple in Ayodhya. All were killed before they could damage the shrine.
Qari's associate Zafar Iqbal, a Pakistan occupied Kashmir resident, was injured in the encounter on the city outskirts. Sub-inspector Devinder Singh of Delhi Police got bullet wounds in his legs.
The state police said Qari was planning Independence Day eve strikes in Jammu, New Delhi and other states. "Qari and a Pakistani terrorist were staying as tenants with one Abdul Rehman for over a month," said Inspector General of Police (IGP), Jammu zone, Shesh Paul Vaid.
Talking about his role in the Ayodhya attack, Vaid said Qari was active for the last seven years in Jammu and stayed with one Asif Iqbal alias Farooq in Sakhi Maidan in Mendhar tehsil of Poonch district. Soon he got Asif into the JeM and gave him Rs 2,20 lakh to purchase a Tata Sumo.
Qari then sent Asif with the vehicle to Srinagar to get weapons. The vehicle was modified to conceal three AK-47, 7 magazines and 6 grenades. Asif was told to drive the vehicle to Amritsar and Aligarh, where he delivered the weapons. The weapons were used in the attack on Ayodhya Temple, said Vaid.
{{/usCountry}}Qari then sent Asif with the vehicle to Srinagar to get weapons. The vehicle was modified to conceal three AK-47, 7 magazines and 6 grenades. Asif was told to drive the vehicle to Amritsar and Aligarh, where he delivered the weapons. The weapons were used in the attack on Ayodhya Temple, said Vaid.
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