Punjab militants were Muslims: Cops

Amid an extensive search that is underway along the Punjab border areas to look for the possibility of some other terrorists who could be on the prowl, the Punjab Police have confirmed that the three militants who were killed in the gun battle inside the Dina Nagar police station in Punjab's Gurdaspur district on Monday were Muslims.

The confirmation comes after their bodies were examined. The militant bodies had marks that establish their religion. All three militants, who were in their twenties, had undergone circumcision which was indicative of their religious identity.

Their blood samples have also been collected. A top official of the Punjab Police said the militants were Muslims. No identity documents, no mobile phones were found on their bodies. The police and security agencies are leaving no stone unturned to rule out the possibility of some more terrorists who could have entered this side from Pakistan. Local police and intelligence agencies are at work since the last two days reaching villages in the vicinity gathering inputs. There is so far no official word if there were more terrorists other than the three who were gunned down.

Analysis of the global positioning system (GPS) devices found on the bodies of the terrorists show that the attack on Dina Nagar police station was programmed. The three terrorists used 'made in US' night vision devices to infiltrate from across the border. These devices too have been recovered. The coordinates hint at the possibility of the terrorists being close to the border on July 21 around 9.30 pm. Later, their location was recorded at three different places inside the Indian territory. There are reports suggesting that the militants had also planned to kill the SSP and the district magistrate of the area.