Jaish Associate Bilal Kuchay, Accused in Pulwama Fidayeen Attack, Dies in Jammu Hospital

Bilal Ahmed Kuchay, a key associate of the Jaish-e-Mohammed and an accused in the 2019 Pulwama Fidayeen attack, died due to cardiac arrest while undergoing treatment in a hospital. He had been admitted from Kishtwar jail last week. Kuchay was an undertrial in the Pulwama attack case, in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed on February 14, 2019, after a Jaish militant rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a CRPF convoy.

Bilal was a critical link in Jaish-e-Mohammed’s operations in the Kashmir valley, providing logistic support and shelter to the attack’s masterminds and attackers, including Muhammad Umar Farooq, Sameer Ahmad Dar, and Adil Ahmad Dar. From June 2018 onwards, his residence in Hakripora served as a safe haven for the plotters.

In August 2018, Kuchay facilitated the purchase of two mobile phones for Umar Farooq. These phones were used for critical communications concerning the planning and execution of the attack, making Kuchay an integral part of the conspiracy.

The attack, which claimed the lives of 40 security personnel, remains one of the most devastating militant operations in Kashmir. Bilal’s role in providing logistical support had made him a significant figure in the ongoing trial.