Amidst the ongoing special drive against anti-social elements in the wake of the upcoming festive season launched on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab Police in joint operation with Central Agencies have 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 two operatives, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav. The Terror module is being handled by Firdaus Ahmed Bhat, an active member of the Lashkar-e-Toiba.
Those arrested have been identified as Uzair Ul Haq of Rahpora Khudwani in Jammu & Kashmir and Raj Mohammad Andleeb of Kherwan in Jammu & Kashmir. The Police have 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.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said that following intel inputs that the Punjab border is being used by Lashkar-e-Toiba for smuggling of huge consignments of arms and explosives, and their two members are expected to retrieve the consignment in the area of Kathu Nangal, Punjab Police’s SSOC wing of Amritsar in coordination with Central Agencies launched a special operation in the area and apprehended both the accused persons with the weapon consignment.
He said that preliminary investigations have 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 and Kashmir and Punjab to disturb peace and harmony of the country. The DGP said that both the arrested accused persons were in constant touch with Firdaus Ahmed Bhat via various social media platforms and on Thursday, he had sent them to Amritsar to collect the consignment of weapons and bring it to the Kashmir valley.
Sharing more details, AIG SSOC Amritsar Sukhminder Singh Mann said that it was also revealed that accused Uzair Ul Haq, who is kin of Firdaus Ahmed Bhat, was earlier arrested in two cases pertaining to stone pelting in District Kulgam. Whereas Raj Mohammad Andleeb has no previous criminal record, he added. Further investigations are being carried out to unearth the entire terror network of Lashkar-e-Toiba, he said, while adding that efforts are also being made to detect the source of consignment.
A case FIR No. 42 dated 14.10.2023 has been registered under sections 13, 17, 18 and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), section 25 of the Arms Act, sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Explosives Act and sections 109, 115 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Police Station State Special Operation Cell in Amritsar.