Punjab: LeT Operatives Held With 2 Hand Grenades, Pistol, Magazines In Kathu Nangal Village

Chandigarh: Punjab Police in joint operation with Central agencies on Saturday thwarted a possible terrorist attack in the border state by busting a terrorist module backed by militant outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) with the arrest of its two operatives.

Stating that the terror module was being handled by Firdaus Ahmed Bhat, an active member of the LeT, Director General of Police (DGP), Punjab, Gaurav Yadav, said that those arrested accused were identified as Uzair Ul Haq and Raj Mohammad Andleeb, both residents of Jammu & Kashmir.

The police also recovered two Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), two hand grenades, one .30 bore pistol along with two magazines and 24 cartridges, eight detonators, one timer switch and four batteries from their possession, he said.

The DGP Yadav said that following intel inputs that the Punjab border was being used by LeT for smuggling of huge consignments of arms and explosives, and their two members were expected to retrieve the consignment in the area of village Kathu Nangal, district Amritsar, the Punjab police team in coordination with Central agencies launched a special operation in the area and nabbed both the accused persons with the weapon consignment.

Arrested accused were recruited by Firdaus Ahmed Bhat

He said that preliminary investigations revealed that the arrested accused were recruited in a terror organisation by Firdaus Ahmed Bhat and the militant outfit was planning to use them to target places of strategic importance and prominent personalities in Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab to disturb peace and harmony of the country.

The DGP said that both the arrested accused were in constant touch with Bhat via various social media platforms and on Thursday, he had sent them to Amritsar to collect the consignment of weapons and bring them to the Kashmir valley.