A wanted terrorist from the outlawed Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist group was arrested by the Delhi Police special cell. A pistol, a magazine, and a stolen automobile were found in his possession. The terrorist has been identified as Javed Ahmed Mattu (32), a native of Sopore in Jammu and Kashmir. Mattu carried a bounty of Rs 10 lakh and was wanted on eleven charges related to terrorism. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had been tracking him for thirteen years.
Special CP, special cell HGS Dhaliwal, while addressing the media, said, “he is a member of the gang of seven terrorists from Hizbul Mujahideen operating in North Kashmir, especially Sopore, J&K, and is the sole surviving A++-category terrorist in the region.” After sustaining injuries in a clash with security forces, he went into hiding and fled to Nepal on the directives of Pak ISI, as the J&K police were actively pursuing him. “He came to Delhi to collect arms and ammunition on instructions from Pakistan’s ISI and would carry out some terror strikes in Kashmir on instructions from the ISI,” added Dhaliwal.
According to police, Mattu was involved in the killing of HC Mohd Yousf of CID near Sopore Police Station in 2010 and a grenade attack on the Sopore SP residence the same year. The police also said that he and his associates were involved in the killing of two CRPF personnel in Pattan, snatching their service rifles in 2010. In 2011, he and his associates were also involved in the killing of police constable Mohd Shahfi Lone.
Moreover, they were accountable for an IED blast at the Sopore Police Station, resulting in the demise of SgCt Morifat Hussain in 2011, along with a grenade attack on the same police station involving Ishfaq Kana and Saleem Beig during the same year. In 2012, Mattu sustained injuries while assaulting the Sopore Police, leading to some disability.
Additionally, he was implicated in grenade-throwing incidents at the CRPF stationed in the SBI Complex in Hathishah, the BSNL office in Sopore, and Chankhan Chowk in 2011 and 2012.
Javed Mattu’s associates include Abdul Majid Jarger, also known as Shaheen, a resident of Sopore, J&K, who is currently located in Pakistan. Actively involved in managing other Hizbul Mujahideen cadres from Pakistan, including Javed Mattu, Shaheen oversees finances and logistics, including the procurement of weapons from ISI handlers across the border.
Another associate, Abdul Qayyum Nazar, a Pak-trained terrorist from Sopore, J&K, served as the operational-in-charge of the gang of seven and was killed in an exchange of fire with security forces. The third associate, Tarik Ahmed Lone, another Pak-trained terrorist from Handwara, J&K, reportedly drowned when he jumped into a river while being cornered by security forces.
The fourth associate is Imtiyaz Kundu, a Pakistan-trained terrorist from Sopore, J&K, who fled to Pakistan in 2015-16 and is currently operating with Shaheen. The fifth associate is Mehraj Halwai, a Pak-trained terrorist from Sopore, J&K, who was killed in an exchange of fire with security forces.
Waseem Guru, a resident of Jageer, Sopore, and J&K, was killed in an exchange of fire with security forces.