India detains 23 men with suspected links to group behind Pulwama attack

India’s National Investigating Agency questions suspects

SRINAGAR: Indian forces have detained 23 men suspected of links to the militant group that masterminded the bombing of an Indian security convoy that killed 44 paramilitary police, a top police official said on Sunday.

The 23 men included members and sympathizers of Jaish-e-Mohammad, the militant group which has reportedly claimed responsibility for Thursday’s attack, the deadliest on Indian security forces in decades.

Representatives of India’s National Investigating Agency (NIA) questioned the suspects about the bombing on Sunday, two security officials said.

“They are trying to reach out to the top commanders of Jaish-e-Mohammad, including its Kashmir Chief,” one of the sources said.

Mohammed Umair, the commander of the JeM in Kashmir who is believed to have plotted the attack, is suspected to be hiding in the region where the attacks took place, the officials said.

The officials say Umair had “radicalised and motivated” the Kashmiri school dropout who rammed a car laden with explosives into the convoy on Thursday.

Indian officials say Umair is a nephew of the chief of the Jaish, Masood Azhar.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised a strong response to the attack and says he has given the military a free hand to tackle militancy.

India has raided the houses of suspected militants across the occupied territory  to find information on those who masterminded and executed the attack.

Investigators are now trying to figure out how a large quantity of explosives used in the attack was smuggled into Kashmir, the officials said.