J&K's SIA arrests OGW of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen

Srinagar, Aug 23 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir's State Investigation Agency (SIA) on Saturday said it has arrested an over ground worker (OGW) of the proscribed terror outfit Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, who was acting as its "sleeper cell".

A statement by SIA said, "Following relentless efforts, SIA Kashmir has achieved a major success by apprehending an OGW, Altaf Hussain Wagay, son of Ghulam Mohi-ud-din Wagay, resident of Reban Gund, Behram Shopian, who worked as a sleeper cell Hizb-ul-Mujahideen.

"The arrest was made as a part of the ongoing investigation into FIR No. 01/2025 u/s 13, 18, 18-B, 38, 39 of Police Station CI/SIA Kashmir," the statement read.

During the investigation, SIA Kashmir has adduced evidence which established the connection of the arrested accused with a terrorist handler belonging to HM who is operating from across, on whose behest the OGW was orchestrating terrorist, unlawful and anti-national activities by actively engaging in terrorist conspiracy, propagating and furthering anti-India narratives.

It said their activities were aimed not only at challenging the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India, but also at inciting disaffection, public disorder, and communal hatred.

"The arrest of OGW Altaf Hussain Wagay belonging to Hizb-ul-Mujahideen is a major success in the path towards unearthing the sleeper cells who are highly radicalised, sharing secessionist, unlawful, separatist contents and are also having connections with Pakistan terror handlers/ terrorist organisations/ Pakistan intelligence agencies," the SIA statement said.

It must be mentioned that "sleeper cell" is a name given by the security forces and intelligence agencies to those over ground workers of terror outfits, who act like normal law-abiding citizens and become active only when given a specific task by their handlers.

Once these tasks are accomplished, the members of the sleeper cells again mingle with the common citizens as they wield weapons only during performing specific terrorist activities assigned to them by their handlers.

--IANS

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