The J&K Police on Sunday claimed to have arrested Zeenat-ul-Islam Shah, chief of the Al Badr militant outfit, from Sopore. “It is a prize catch for the police. The militant commander was arrested in a raid from Sopore,” said IG (Kashmir) Farooq Ahmad.

Police sources said Shah, a resident of Sugan village in Shopian, had taken over as Al Badr chief from Major Abdullah, who had exfiltrated to Pakistan earlier this year. After joining the militants in 2005, Shah received training in Lolab and operated in the area for four years, they said, adding that he was Deputy Divisional Commander when the outfit kidnapped and killed two policemen at Patushai. Police sources said he was “directly involved” in these killings as well as several other major attacks in Lolab.

Sources said Shah moved to Sopore town early this year with an aim to strengthen his outfit and was successful in motivating some new recruits. He then shifted to his native Shopian “with an objective to recruit new faces” for his militant outfit and was considerably successful, they added. In Shopian, Shah developed a liaison with Lashkar-e-Toiba militants and took part in joint operations.