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NEW DELHI: Udhampur attacker Mohammad Naved alias Usman lived and travelled unnoticed in Jammu and Kashmir for almost 45 days before striking the BSF convoy, thanks to ample help from a string of local contacts. Aiding them were not only local LeT handlers, militants and overground workers but also regular civilians like owners of the house in Chursoo, Awantipora, where they stayed soon after infiltrating from Pakistan, truck drivers, a baker, a welder and shopkeepers.The disclosure by the terrorist during the course of his interrogation has led security agencies to fear that Lashkar and other jihadi outfits may have succeeded in building a network of local collaborators within Kashmir which may facilitate infiltrators from across the border at the time of their choosing. Naved told his interrogators that he was sheltered in family homes and not just safe houses.Intelligence sources said the patronage of “regular” families was one of the important reasons why Naved and other members of Lashkar sleeper cells remained undetected for over a month and could move across the Valley with nobody finding anything amiss. “We have a task on our hands,” said a senior intelligence source, stressing the need for better ground intelligence.As per details of Naved's preliminary interrogation, Naved, Noman (his accomplice in the Udhampur attack), Okasha Pakhtoon and Mohd Bhai started from Halan in Pakistan on May 27 and reached the border a week later on June 2. They cut the wire at Fajja Top and used GPS sets to find their way into Kashmir, traveling nearly 18 km to Babarishi, Tanmarg. Ashiq Bhat alias Obaida received them and arranged for their travel to Chursoo in Awantipora. Here they stayed at the house of locals (whose identity is being withheld so as not to affect further investigation) for four days. For the next 40 days, which coincided with Ramzan, they hid at Khrew along with other freshly-infiltrated militants. The hideout was visited by several cadres of LeT based in south Kashmir.It was only on July 23 that five militants – Naved and four others, Dujana, Shahin Gulzar, Shoket Lone and Abu Ukasha -- were picked up from the house and taken away in a truck. While Naved and Dujana were dropped at Kakpura, the remaining three militants were taken to Pulwama. Interestingly, the second vehicle was intercepted by the J&K police but the militants managed to flee.J&K terror attack: Pak militant arrested alive, interrogation onBSF bravehearts: How martyred BSF jawans killed a terrorist, prevented mayhemThey cut the wire at Fajja Top and used GPS sets to find their way into Kashmir, traveling nearly 18km.Ashiq Bhat alias Obaida received them and arranged for their travel to Chursoo in Awantipora.According to police sources, a surprise naka had been placed late in the night about a kilometre out of Pulwama town. All vehicles crossing it were being checked. As the truck approached the naka it began speeding and broke through it. Pulwama police chased the truck for about two and a half kilometres.“The road abruptly ended there. As we approached the truck, the four occupants got out and ran into the dark. We seized the truck and tracked the owner to Pampore. He, however, said that people had forcibly got into his truck and asked the driver to drive. It was initially suspected to be a drug case, but it now turns out to be related to Udhampur attack,” said an officer, privy to the operation.Meanwhile, Naved and Dujana reached Kakpura and met a local bakery shop owner and overground worker, who arranged a vehicle for their further travel. While Dujana left for Srinagar in the vehicle the next day to receive money from a shopkeeper at Lal Chowk, Naved stayed back in Kakpura with another militant Talib Shah.After Dujana returned from Srinagar, Naved was handed over to a militant Hamza who took him to Khudwani along with the overground worker from Kakpura. Hamza took Naved and the overground worker to the house of a local who runs a welding shop near a school at Redwani. The terrorists' LeT handler Qasim met them here. Hamza, meanwhile, returned to Pulwama along with the overground worker.Naved stayed at Khudwani for the next six days, during which terrorists Talha, Momin alias Kachroo and Muzammil visited the hideout. On the sixth day, Qasim told Naved of his fidayeen mission. Qasim then left to arrange a truck and came back with Noman, who was to be Naved's accomplice in the Udhampur attack.Naved and Noman left for Jammu after an exhaustive briefing by Qasim. They crossed the toll plaza at 2.15 pm and reached Ramban, where they bought two bags and eatables. They stayed the night there, cooked and placed their weapons in the bags. The next morning they left for Jammu. They got off at Samroli, had tea at Kashmiri hotel and headed towards their target, a BSF convoy.