Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin's son arrested by NIA

The National Investigative Agency (NIA) has arrested Syed Shakeel Ahmad, son of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) leader Syed Salahuddin, from his residence early in the morning of Thursday from the Rambagh area of Srinagar. Shakeel, who works as a senior lab technician at Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), was first raided by the agency, before they took him in. The CRPF and local police were also present when he was taken into custody and as per inputs, the arrest was in relation to a terror funding case.

Earlier this year, he was questioned by the NIA related to the 2011 attacks. There were allegations against him of receiving funds sent by his father through wire transfer, and used them to spread terror in the Kashmir valley. Shakeel becomes the second son of Salahudeen to have been arrested, after one of his five brother was also taken into custody by the NIA last year in relation to money laundering.  

News of Salahuddin's son's arrest comes a day after four police officials were attacked and brutally killed near Arhama at Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian. The four police officials, including one SPO, were repairing their vehicle when they came under attack by terrorists. The terrorists decamped with their rifles, viz. 4 AK-47s. The martyred policemen were identified as Constable Ishfaq Ahmad Mir, Constable Javaid Ahmad Bhat, Constable Mohammad Iqbal Mir and SPO Adil Manzoor Bhat. The Hizbul Mujahideen, as well as Jaish-e-Mohammad, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Earlier on Wednesday, two Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists, including HM commander Altaf Ahmad Dar, were neutralised in an operation in Anantnag's Muniward. 

The Anantnag encounter had broken out following Police and security forces launching a search operation early in the morning. While the search was in progress, the terrorists opened fire. Altaf Ahmad Dar had been an active terrorist for a number of years and, as per the press release issued regarding the encounter, has a long history of criminal records since 2007. Arms and ammunition were also recovered from the encounter site.

On Tuesday evening, terrorists had also attacked the residence of BJP leader Avtar Singh in Tral's Monghama. However, the SPO guarding Singh's residence retaliated by opening fire and forced the terrorists to flee.