Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Police in a major success arrested four terror associates in Balakote area along the Line of Control and claimed to have foiled a major terror plan to target religious places in border Poonch and Rajouri districts.
They owed allegiance to Jammu Kashmir Ghaznavi Force, sources said, adding that their arrest came a day after police and security forces had destroyed an IED planted on Mendhar-Golad road on Sunday.
With this, the number of JKGF terror associates arrested by police and security forces in Balakote area since last month have risen to seven. Three terror associates were arrested by police and security forces in the area last month and seized 13 grenades, three pistols and 105 rounds on different occasions during the period.
The lid was taken off the presence of JKGF, an off shoot of Lashkar-e-Toiba in border Poonch district following the apprehension of one Mustafa Khan of Gulta Harni by a joint naka party of police and security forces who intercepted his vehicle near Basooni village in Balakote area last month. During questioning, he confessed his involvement in militant related activities and revealed the names of two more militant associates. Identified as Mohammad Yaseen and Rayees Ahmed, both residents of Dabbi Balakote, they too were arrested.
On their disclosures, police later recovered three pistols along with 105 rounds and 13 grenades between December 27 last to January 3 this year.
Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police for Jammu zone, Mukesh Singh, who is on tour of Poonch district to take stock of the situation, said that Pakistan was trying to recruit new local youth for terrorist ranks so as to target religious place so as to engineer communal tension. However, police in Jammu division have foiled their plan and arrested a number of terrorists and recovered huge quantity of arms and ammunition.
