Srinagar: Indian security forces have arrested a woman, alleged to be asuicide bomber associated with thelink>(IS),from South Kashmir last night.
Giving more information, the J&K Police today said, ”The arrested woman,18, hails from Pune.”
“She was arrested last night following credible inputs from theintelligence sources,” Additional Director General of Police Munir Khansaid.
Khan, however, refused to divulge more details about the arrest.
“We will be talking to her (suspect) and we will be talking to our sisteragencies. We will be covering every other lead to know what the facts are.After a proper investigation, we will come to any conclusion,” Khan, who isalso holding the post of Inspector General of Police (Kashmir Range), said.
Central intelligence agencies had alerted the state police that a womanfrom Pune, identified as Sadiya Anwar Shaikh, had shifted herself to KashmirValleylink>andwas in regular touch with ISIS operatives, the officials said.
A high alert was sounded in the Kashmir Valley two days ahead of RepublicDaylink>anda message was circulated that “there is a strong input” that an 18-year-oldnon-Kashmiri woman might “cause a suicide bomb explosion” near or insidethe Republic Day parade in Kashmir.
“All are directed to please ensure that frisking of ladies at the (venues)is done meticulously and with utmost caution so as to thwart the designs ofANEs (anti-national elements),” the message, circulated on 23 January, read.
Shaikh had been earlier interrogated by the Pune Anti-Terrorism Squadlink>in2015, when it came to notice that she had been radicalised after coming incontact with the ISIS supporters abroad.
She was planning to travel to Syria, the ATS had then claimed.
The woman, a Class XI student at a Pune college, was subsequently sent fora de-radicalisation programme by the ATS.