J&K: House of terrorist behind attack on Vaishno Devi pilgrims demolished

Reasi district administration on Thursday demolished the house of Mohd Aurif Sheikh, a government teacher, who carried out multiple IED and sticky bomb attacks in the Jammu region on the direction of Lashkar handlers in Pakistan. He was arrested by Jammu Police earlier, thus solving multiple cases of terror attacks including that on a bus carrying pilgrims of Mata Vaishno Devi.

The demolished house was illegally constructed on state land in Khasra No. 602/457/1 at village Baransal tehsil Mahore. Earlier, the state land encroached by the accused was retrieved by the district administration in the anti-encroachment drive carried out by the revenue department.

Senior Police Official, while sharing detail, told Republic that in 2010, Sheikh was appointed as a Rehbar-e-Taleem teacher in a government middle school, Pagihalla and was confirmed as a permanent teacher in 2016 in the same school. He continued teaching in the same school until his arrest in the Narwal bomb blast on 21st Jan 2023.

“Investigation has revealed that while working as a teacher, Sheikh was involved in planting IED at Sanjay Nagar Chowk, Jammu in February 2022 on the behest of LeT terrorists Qamar Din and Qasim alias Salman, based in Pakistan. In May 2022, Sheikh had planted IED in a bus at Katra Bus stand on the direction of his LeT handlers. It is learnt during the investigation that after carrying out a terrorist attack in Katra, Sheikh tried to collect more IEDs on the direction of his handlers based in Pakistan,” he added.

The official further said that in December 2022, Sheikh had shifted to Peerbagh Colony, Sunjwan where received a consignment of IEDs and money through drone on 27th December. The drop is suspected to have been made somewhere in Akhnoor. He had planted two IEDs at Narwal Transport Yard on 20th January 2023. Investigation has revealed that after planting the IEDs he had informed his handlers in Pakistan and gave them the location.

He has been named in multiple cases including FIR No. 141 /2022 P/S Katra U/S 13/16/18/20/23 UAPA, 302/307 IPC and 3/5 explosive substance Act stands registered at Katra, Reasi and another case FIR No. 38/2023 P/S Bahu Fort U/S 307 IPC, 3/4/5 E.S. Act & 16/18 UAPA stands registered at Jammu. The blast in Bus near Katra killed 5 persons and injured 28 while in twin IED blasts in the Narwal area Jammu, 9 persons were injured.