JOIN USPunjab Police bust terror module, 3 arrested
The Punjab Police have arrested three militants and busted a module having direct links with banned terror outfit International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF).
It is said ISYF is affiliated to Pakistan’s ISI.
The arrested terrorists, Gurdial Singh, Jagroop Singh and Satwinder Singh, had been trained and tasked by ISI to carry out attacks in India on the directions of Pakistan-based ISYF chief Lakhbir Singh Rode. The accused were remanded in police custody on Sunday.
Preliminary investigation revealed that a part of the consignment of arms and ammunition seized by BSF on May 21 close to the International Border in Amritsar was supplied by ISYF. Two terrorists, Maan Singh and Sher Singh, were arrested by BSF last month when they were attempting to pick up the consignment. Arms and ammunition were also recovered.
Gurdial was the chief operative of this terror module and was introduced to Lakhbir by Germany-based Balvir Singh Sandhu. Gurdial had met Lakhbir, who is staying in an ISI-provided safe house in Lahore cantonment, several times during his visits to Pakistan as part of religious contingents over the past six-seven years.
During his last visit to Pakistan in November 2016, Gurdial had arranged a visa for Jagroop and facilitated his travel to Lahore with a religious group.
Jagroop confessed that he was taken to the ISYF chief blindfolded at an undisclosed location, and imparted a four-day training course by ISI in handling AK-47 rifles and smaller weapons. He was also trained in techniques of sabotaging railway tracks.
Gurdial and Jagroop were tasked with carrying 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.