Police have arrested a close aide of Syed Salahuddin, head of the United Jehad Council (UJC), from a border district in Jammu and Kashmir.
Abdul Rashid Bhat alias Mansoor Bhai of Doda was arrested Sunday evening from Rajouri district, the police said.
The Pakistan-based UJC is an umbrella organisation of at least 15 separatist guerrilla outfits fighting in Kashmir.
Bhat was in Pakistan for many years operating as second in command of Salahuddin and had returned about a year ago using a fake passport, which first took him to Dhaka before landing in India, said the police
He was arrested on a specific information provided about his movements.
Bhat was a top commander and would call the shots at the behest of Salahuddin, senior superintendent of police Rajesh Yadava told IANS.
An AK-47 rifle and some ammunition were also recovered from him, the police said.
Salahuddin also heads the Hizbul Mujahideen, which is said to be the strongest Kashmiri militant outfit having presence all over the state, particularly in the Muslim dominated valley, Doda, Rajouri, Poonch and Udhampur districts of the Jammu region.