BSF camp attack mastermind top Jaish commander

New Delhi: Central intelligence and security agencies have identified the main mastermind behind Tuesday’s terror attack on BSF camp in close to Srinagar airport. Even though the “Afzal Guru Squad” had claimed the responsibility for the attack in which one BSF personnel and three militants were killed, intelligence sources have confirmed that the outfit was nothing, but a front of terror organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed.

Investigations so far, sources added, have confirmed that the attack was meticulously planned by a top Jaish commander, identified as one Khalid, who is said to be active in parts of north Kashmir like Sopore. “Khalid has been trained in Pakistan and is said to be extremely secretive in planning his operations and movements. We have now launched a massive hunt for him now,” a senior intelligence official said.

Khalid was leading a ring of 12 terrorists, 10 Pakistanis and 2 locals, who were targeting high-valued security establishments, sources said.

Three Jaish militants, dressed in Army outfits, had stormed a BSF camp in a high security area with the Srinagar airport, an Air Force base, NIA office and a CRPF camp in close vicinity. The BSF camp is said to be located close to the first gate of the Srinagar airport. The security forces, however, managed to successfully eliminate the three militants.

“The magnitude of the attack could have been much bigger, but our security forces were on high alert. They managed to minimise the damage to a very large extent. It seems the Jaish militants wanted to send out a message by targeting BSF in the past has been successful in many anti-terror operations,” the official added.

Sources said though the number of active Jaish militants was much lower as compared to Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, it is considered as the most lethal terror group with most of its militants said to be Pakistani who have undergone extensive training.

With intelligence agencies having zeroed down on the mastermind the information has also been shared with the Army and special operations group of the J&K police. A massive hunt has now been launched for Khalid in jungles of North Kashmir where he is suspected to be hiding.

`Not much is known about Khalid since intelligence has revealed that he is extremely secretive and this is the first time that his name has cropped in any major terror attack. But now that he is on our radar we will manage to eliminate him soon,’’ a security official said.