New Delhi, Jul 29 (IANS): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) said on Wednesday that it has arrested Malik Noor Mohammad Fayyaz, a key conspirator in the killing of Parihar brothers of Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir.

An NIA spokesperson said that on Tuesday, the anti-terror probe agency arrested Fayyaz, 51, a resident of Doda district in J&K.

The case pertains to the killing of Anil Kumar Parihar and his brother Ajit Kumar Parihar on November 1, 2018 at the Main Bazar of Kishtwar by unknown criminals, who fired upon them while they were returning home at around 8.40 pm.

The NIA had registered a case on November 28, 2018.

The official said that the NIA had earlier chargesheeted seven accused persons, including three slain Hizbul-Mujahideen terrorists -- Osama-bin-Javid, Haroon Abbas Wani, Zahid Hussain -- and four arrested accused persons namely Nisar Ahmed Sheikh, Nishad Ahmed Butt, Azad Hussain Bagwan and Rustam Ali, all residents of Kishtwar, in a special NIA court in Jammu on May 15, 2020.

The official said that the investigation in the case to unearth the larger conspiracy hatched by the terrorists of Hizabul Mujahideen along with overground workers (OGW) -- who were trying to revive terrorism in the Chenab valley, Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban region -- led to the identification of Fayyaz.

"Investigation has revealed that he was the co-conspirator for reviving terrorism in Chenab valley. He had also visited Assam and Nagaland along with slain Hizabul terrorist Osama-bin-Javid for procuring weapons for the said purpose," the official said.

Fayyaz was instrumental in motivating and recruiting gullible Muslim youth to join the cadres of Hizabul Mujahideen, the official added.

He was produced at the NIA special court in Jammu, which sent him to three-day NIA custody.