‘Terrorist guide’ held along LoC in Rajouri

A Pakistani national, suspected to be a “terrorist guide”, was apprehended by the Army in the Manjakote area of Rajouri district along the Line of Control on Sunday.

It is suspected that he was leading a group of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists when he was overpowered by the Indian troops. The infiltrators accompanying him, however, escaped as soon as they noticed Indian soldiers. Sources said a group of ultras was seen retreating from the area by soldiers, but fire was not opened due to the presence of Pakistan army posts in the area.

The suspected guide has been identified as Mohammad Arif. Army troops and Border Security Force (BSF) personnel stationed along the LoC reportedly acted after noticing suspicious movement of a group of suspected terrorists.

“A joint interrogation of the suspected guide is underway in Rajouri. He is being questioned about the terrorists being led by him into the Indian side,” sources said.

Arif, a resident of Datote village in Pakistan-occupied J&K (PoJK), was arrested from the forward Hajura post in the Gambhir area under the Army’s Ace of Spades division. Being a resident of a village near the LoC, he has good knowledge of the local topography. A mobile phone, Rs 20,000 in Pakistani currency and some keys among other things were seized from him. He has reportedly admitted to be a resident of PoJK who worked on the directions of Pakistan army officers. He also admitted that he was leading a group of JeM terrorists who were carrying arms, ammunition, and other material. The Army was likely to give details of the entire operation at a media briefing on Tuesday, sources said.