Pathankot attack: Interpol issues red corner notice against Masood Azhar

NEW DELHI: The Interpol has issued red corner notice against Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar and his brother Abdul Rauf for their alleged role in the conspiracy to attack the strategic Indian Air Force base in Pathankot NIA had sought the red corner notice against Masood Azhar, his brother Abdul Rauf, Kashif Jan and Shahid Latif, two handlers of JeM terrorists who had infiltrated into India through Bamiyal sector of Punjab in the wee hours of December 30 to launch the terror assault.The strategic base was attacked by terrorists of banned JeM during the intervening night of January one and two in which seven security personnel were killed. Four bodies of terrorists were recovered from the encounter site which lasted for nearly 80 hours.NIA has already sought voice samples of Azhar and three others from Pakistan's Joint Investigation Team (JIT) which came to India for carrying out a probe in the Pathankot terror probe.India had built a strong case for proscribing Azhar as terrorist at the UN but the move was vetoed by China.An Interpol red corner notice is already pending against Azhar for being allegedly involved in the conspiracy behind attacks on Parliament and Jammu and Kashmir state assembly.Similarly an Interpol red corner notice is pending against Rauf in connection with the IC-814 hijacking case of 1999.India has complained to Pakistan about the slow pace of probe in the Parliament attack case and Azhar being given a free hand to continue with his anti-India rhetoric. Islamabad has not heeded to India's demands to bring to book Azhar and other JeM top brass.In the meantime, NIA said that after posting the pictures of the four dead terrorists on its official website, more information was coming from across the world which included many people from Pakistan who were eager to share details pertaining to the slain militants.The four terrorists were identified as Nasir Hussain (Punjab province), Abu Bakar, (Gujranwala), Umar Farooq and Abdul Qayum (both from Sindh).