Handwara encounter: Mobile phones without SIM cards lead NIA to Pakistan link
The NIA has managed to trace the origin of one phone to Pakistan which can provide some crucial information.
In Short
- NIA has managed to trace the origin of one the phone to Pakistan.
- Terrorists killed in the Handwara encounter were using ICOM wireless.
- Both Uri and Handwara encounter probes are being conducted by the NIA.
Soon after an encounter in Handwara on October 6, in which security forces gunned down three Lashkar terrorists, the Army had recovered a Samsung and a Chinese made Huawei phone, both without SIM cards from the encounter site.
The National Investigation agency (NIA) has managed to trace the origin of one phone to Pakistan which can provide some crucial information. As per NIA sources, "The Huawei phone was shipped to a dealer in Pakistan, while the Samsung mobile phone was shipped by a company to Zambia, from where it was further transported to Mauritius. It finally made to Handwara encounter site. The NIA is now preparing to seek help from Mauritius to get more information.
The NIA sources confirmed to India Today that the terrorists killed in the encounter were using ICOM wireless, similar to the one recovered in case of Bahadur Ali (another Pakistan terrorist caught alive). ICOM sets are synced to Android mobile phones which can send text messages without a SIM card, through a mobile app.
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Experts say this is an effective method of communication between masterminds in Pakistan and infiltrating terrorists. Providing the terrorists with specific grid references for the route to be followed and use of GPS, compass and topographical sheets during movement also establishes that these LeT terrorists were trained and mentored by military experts.
RECOVERIES MADE
The recoveries made after the encounter included three AK rifles, three Under Barrel Grenade Launchers, a number of magazines, significant rounds of bullets, 4 walkie talkie radio sets, three GPS devices, three mobile phones, dry fruits and medicines besides a map and a matrix sheet.
Three fidayeens dressed in Army fatigues were killed in an ecounter on October 6 as they opened fire outside the 30 Rashtriya Rifles camp at Langate in Handwara. The firing which started at 5 am continued for 10-15 minutes but the army troops quickly neutralised the terrorists. The probe was handed over to the NIA.
Both Uri and Handwara encounter probes are being conducted by the NIA.
HELP FROM US
After identification of Faidulla (Fadulla) from a dairy recovered from one of the three terrorists killed in Handwara encounter, the same blue dairy has provided more clues.
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As per sources in NIA, "An MLAT request to the US has been sent for information on 2 Facebook accounts and one Twitter account suspected to be linked to one of the slain terrorists. With Facebook and Twitter headquarters based in the US, the NIA has sought their help formally.