J&K: Amid drone threat, cops keep eye on suspects in border areas

Arjun Sharma

Jammu, July 21

In the wake of the recent arrest of two terrorists from Kathua, who were instrumental in collecting arms and ammunition dropped by drones from Pakistan, the police are keeping an eye on the suspects in border areas. On July 18, three Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) modules were busted. Two of them had been collecting weapons dropped by drones in border areas and sending the same to different parts of the UT, including Kashmir. The police had said those weapons could have been used in targeted killings.

The police had arrested seven terrorists in a month and two among them were Habib and Miayan Sohail of Kathua.

Sources in the police said Pakistan’s ISI had been luring youngsters residing along the border areas in Jammu division to work for it. Terror groups in Pakistan identify gullible youth through local handlers. Both Habib and Sohail had a handler, Faisal Muneer, a resident of Jammu, who too has been arrested.

“After a series of drone droppings, intelligence agencies believed there could be local support to pick weapons dropped by flying objects. Both the terrorists from Kathua came on the radar after agencies started working on this angle,” said sources.

Police teams are also leaving no stone unturned to find out if more anti-national elements are present in the border belt. In the past, the BSF and the police have foiled several attempts of Pakistan-based terror groups to drop arms or drugs through drones.

After busting the LeT modules, Jammu ADGP Mukesh Singh had said, “Among the 20 consignments dropped, some included pistols that could have been used in targeted killings in Kashmir.”

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