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`Rupin Katyal killer led the attack'
By Shujaat Bukhari
SRINAGAR, DEC. 16. The leader of the fidayeen squad which attacked Parliament on Thursday was one of the hijackers of the Indian Airlines flight from Kathmandu to Kandahar in 1999. This information was given by Mohammad Afzal, one of the masterminds of the attack on Parliament. He was arrested by J&K police on Saturday from Baramulla.
The Director-General of Police, Mr. A.K. Suri, told The Hindu that Afzal told police during preliminary interrogation that Mohammad, the leader of the suicide squad, was one of those who hijacked IA flight. He reportedly killed Rupin Katyal on board after the latter had an argument with the hijackers, Mr. Suri said. This had established direct links between the Jaish-e-Mohammad and the Taliban which supported the hijackers and facilitated the release of the JeM chief, Moulana Masood Azhar, another Harkat ideologue, Omar Sheikh and Al-Umar Mujahideen chief, Mushtaq Zargar alias Latram. He must have given more information to Delhi police, Mr. Suri added.
On the arrest of three more persons of whom two are called Ashiq Hussain Khan, in whose name the car used in the attack was purchased, Mr. Suri said, ``nothing has been confirmed as yet''. They would continue to be with police for further investigations. A senior official told The Hindu that those arrested from Sopore had no links with the plan and the militants had given the names to mislead police.
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