Probe on into supply of grenades from Valley
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 19: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today reviewed situation in the aftermath of blast in Amritsar, which reportedly had the backing of Kashmir militants, in which three civilians were killed and 10 others, all belonging to a religious sect, were injured even as reports surfaced that grenades used by the militants might have been supplied to Punjab from the Valley.
Official sources told the Excelsior that top brass of Home Ministry, Intelligence and security agencies attended the meeting called by Singh to review the situation arising out of terror attack in Amritsar and possible link of the attack with Kashmir militants and steps required to prevent any flare up of militant activities in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.
They also briefed the Home Minister on the explosion at a religious gathering. The Home Minister directed the officials to provide all assistance to the Punjab Government in their investigation to nab the perpetrators of the crime, sources said.
Singh was told that a team of the National Investigation Agency has already visited the blast site along with their investigators and explosive experts.
According to sources, security and Intelligence agencies were investigating as to whether an Innova car hijacked by unidentified gunmen at Madhopur after being hired from Jammu Railway Station carried the Kashmir militants, who might have supplied consignment of arms and explosives to the local militants in Punjab, who executed the terror attack.
Only few days back, four B Tech students from Kashmir, studying in Jallandhar college, had been arrested in a joint operation by Special Operations Group (SOG) Jammu and Punjab Police and from their possession, AK rifles, ammunition and explosive devices were recovered.
There have been reports that some Kashmiri militants have also sneaked into Punjab to help Punjab ultras.
Security agencies were of the view that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) seems to have played major role in managing explosive devices in Punjab through Kashmir to help the local militants carry out grenade attack.
The Ministry of Home Affairs is understood to have directed for thorough probe into the grenade attack as well as “growing nexus” between Punjab and Kashmir militants, which was evident from the arrest of four B Tech students of Kashmir in Jallandhar recently and recovery of consignment of arms, ammunition and explosives from their possession.
“It has been decided that both Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab Police will maintain close coordination and share inputs on the militants especially growing links of Punjab and Kashmir militants,” sources said, adding that the Government has decided to take all possible steps to ensure that there is no revival of militancy in Punjab.
Sources admitted that there was a possibility of some more Kashmiri militants hiding in Punjab under the garb of students just like four already arrested from Jallandhar, who had turned out to be the activists of Gazbat-ul-Hind Ansar of Zakir Moosa, an Al-Qaeda linked militant, who was operating in the Kashmir valley and was widely believed to have developed links with some Punjab militants on the directions of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Sources said a high alert has already been sounded in Jammu and Punjab including Jammu-Pathankot National Highway and police has been asked to intensify night patrolling to check movement of the militants.
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