Shujaat Bukhari Murder: One Attacker Resembles LeT Terrorist Naveed Jatt, Say Intel Sources

New Delhi: Intelligence agencies suspect three LeT terrorist were behind the the attack on veteran journalist Shujaat Bukhari, who was gunned down in Srinagar on Thursday evening. The development comes after Srinagar Police released CCTV grabs of the alleged attackers, seeking public help to identify the accused.

According to police, one attacker resembles LeT terrorist Naveed Jatt while the other two suspects named are Mehrajuddin Bangroo and Waza. Bangroo is one the most wanted militants belonging to downtown Srinagar and is also one of the main recruiters involved in killings of security forces, authorities said.

The three bike-borne assailants had covered their faces to protect their identity. They carried guns the allegedly used to attack Bukhari in a sack.

Jatt, who dramatically escaped from Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital (SMHS) in Srinagar on February 6, has been the face behind several attacks on security forces in Kashmir and is also under the radar of the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

As an active member of several conferences across the globe, Bukhari had travelled to Europe as part of the Track II diplomacy. The practice was said to be re-launched to bring about peaceful dialogue between India and Pakistan.

Top intelligence sources told CNN-News18 that the killing was the handiwork of the ISI as the Pakistan-based organisation was unhappy with Bukhari’s writings and his participation in the Track II diplomacy.

Last month, Bukhari also attended a seminar on Kashmir held in Islamabad.

The Observer Research Foundation Seminar held in Delhi did not go down well with Bukhari as a panelist, in his absence, depicted him as “anti-national” for his “biased” stance on Kashmir.

In May this year, Bukhari was part of the Global Editors Summit held in Lisbon. The event brought together at least 100 editors and media practitioners from all over the world.

Bukhari, editor-in-chief of Rising Kashmir newspaper, was shot dead in his car outside his office at the Press Colony. He was accompanied by his personal security guards, who were also killed.