Punjab police arrest three ISI backed ISYF terrorists

In a major breakthrough, the Punjab Police have arrested three terrorists and busted a terror module having direct links with Pakistan’s ISI- backed banned terror outfit International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF).

The arrested terrorists, Gurdial Singh, Jagroop Singh, and Satwinder Singh, had been trained and tasked by the ISI to carry out terror attacks in India on directions of Pakistan-based ISYF chief Lakhbir Rode. The accused were remanded to police custody today.

Preliminary investigations by the Punjab police have also revealed that a part of the consignment of arms and ammunition seized by the BSF on May 21 this year close to the international border in Amritsar, was supplied by ISYF. Two terrorists, Maan Singh and Sher Singh, had been arrested by the BSF last month, while they were attempting to pick up the said consignment. Arms and ammunition have also been recovered.

Gurdial Singh was the chief operative of this terror module and was introduced to Lakhbir Singh Rode, who is staying in an ISI provided a safe house in Lahore Cantonment, by Germany-based Balvir Singh Sandhu. Gurdial had met Rode several times during his visits to Pakistan, as part of religious contingents in the last 6-7 years.

During his last visit to Pakistan in November last year, Gurdial Singh had arranged a visa for Jagroop Singh and he had travelled to Lahore with the religious consignment. Jagroop confessed that he was taken to the ISYF chief blindfolded at an undisclosed location and imparted a four-day training course by the ISI in handing AK-47 rifle and smaller weapons. He was also trained in techniques of sabotaging railway tracks by loosening the fastening mechanisms of fish-plates, nuts and bolts.

Both Gurdial and Jagroop were tasked to carry out terrorist attacks in India and also motivated to target various ‘anti-panthic and anti-Sikh forces individuals’. The police said the accused had mentors in Pakistan and Germany.