The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a juvenile in connection with the terrorist attack that took place in Dhangri village of Rajouri district, Jammu and Kashmir, on January 1, 2023, resulting in the tragic loss of five lives. 

The case, initially registered as FIR no. 01/2023 at PS Rajouri, had witnessed the killing of civilians and serious injuries to several others.

The NIA took charge of the investigation on January 13, re-registering the case and intensifying efforts to identify and apprehend those responsible. Subsequent investigations revealed that the arrested juvenile, along with previously detained individuals Nisar Ahmed and Mushtaq Hussain, played a role in harboring the terrorists involved in the heinous attack.

Nisar Ahmed and Mushtaq Hussain were arrested by the NIA on August 31, 2023, and are currently incarcerated at Central Jail, Kot Bhalwal, Jammu. The duo, under the directives of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) handlers, Saifullah alias Sajid Jutt, Abu Qatal alias Qatal Sindhi, and Mohd Qasim, had provided logistical support to the terrorists for over two months, sheltering them in a hideout constructed for this purpose.

The apprehended juvenile, already under detention in another case at Observation Home, RS Pura, Jammu, was taken into custody by the NIA. The agency presented the juvenile before the Juvenile Justice Board, Rajouri, for remand.

The NIA’s relentless pursuit of the case led its officials to conduct thorough investigations in the hilly terrains of Rajouri, Poonch, and Reasi districts of Jammu and Kashmir. The team scrutinized numerous entities before identifying the accused individuals who had actively facilitated the terrorists by providing crucial logistical support.