Hidayatullah Malik, the chief of Jaish-e-Mustafa (JeM), a front outfit of Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) terror group based in Pakistan, who was arrested on February 6 in Jammu, has made shocking disclosures to his interrogators. Malik was arrested from Sanjwani area of Jammu on February 6, although he had been putting up in Bhatindi neighbourhood of the city for quite some time.

Malik, according to a top source, has disclosed that he had carried out a successful video recce of the office of Ajit Doval, the national security advisor, at Sardar Patel Bhavan in New Delhi.

"He disclosed that he had carried out the video recce on the instructions of his handler in Pakistan who had directed him to do so because the terrorists were planning to target some of the highest value Indian targets," a top source said.

Doval is one of the most highly protected persons in the country. He has been on the terrorist hit list because of his role in the Uri 'surgical strike' into Pakistan in 2016 and the Balakote attack in 2019.

Doval has also been responsible for the overall security situation in Jammu and Kashmir and the political changes in the former state which was deprived of its special status and divided into two union territories.

"The NSA not only remained stationed here all along to personally supervise every little security detail, but he also overlooked his personal security by going out to meet the people on the street during those crucial days," said the top source told IANS.

"Malik had taken an Indigo airlines flight from Srinagar to Delhi on May 24, 2019 and after carrying out the video recce of the NSA's office, he returned to Srinagar travelling in public transport buses.

"He also disclosed of carrying out recces of the international border in Samba district of Jammu division in 2019.

"The car used in the suicide attack in May 2020 in Pulwama was also provided by him. Fortunately, the car was detected and defused.

"He looted Rs 60 lakhs from a J&K Bank case van in Shopian district in 2020. He has disclosed code names and phone numbers of at least 10 terror handlers active in Pakistan," top source said.

Malik had joined the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit in July, 2019, worked as an overground worker (OGW) for the Jaish and later graduated to form and head the JeM, a front outfit of the original Jaish formed by Masood Azhar, the terror mastermind who was exchanged at Kandahar (Afghanistan) for the release of hostages of Indian Airlines flight IC 814 in December 1999.

Kandahar was controlled by Taliban in December 1999 and the demand for Azhar Masood's release was made at the directions of Pakistan's ISI.