Two Pak-trained LeT militants arrested

Srinagar, February 3

Security forces have arrested two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants, who had gone to Pakistan on valid visas to obtain arms training, the police said.

They have been identified as Abdul Majeed Bhat of Mughalpora, Saloora Kreeri and Mohammad Ashraf Mir of Nilla Palpora, Pattan.

“The militants were nabbed immediately after returning via the Wagah-Attari border before they could formally join the militant ranks here in Kashmir,” a police spokesperson said.

On questioning, the duo revealed that “they were trained along with large number of Pakistani boys, most of them from Balochistan and as young as 10 years old”.

“The said terrorist training camps are located near Burma Town, Islamabad, and being run by a terrorist commander operating under code names Hanzala, Adanan and Omar. The arrested militants have been given Pakistani visas by the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi,” he said.

The spokesperson said for the past couple of years, the police had unearthed several such modules where in youths had gone to Pakistan on valid passports for arms training. “In the past, several such boys have been arrested and some of them killed in encounters,” he claimed. — TNS

3 injured in Tral grenade attack

Anantnag: A CRPF man and two civilians were injured after militants hurled a grenade at a paramilitary patrol party at Tral in Pulwama district on Saturday. The explosion took place around noon in the Batgund area of Tral town. Police sources said the grenade was aimed at a CRPF patrol party. “It fortunately exploded some distance away. Three persons received minor injuries in the explosion,” a senior police officer said. He said the injured were rushed to a hospital. Following the attack, the area was cordoned off and a search operation was carried out. However, it triggered clashes. oc