8 IEDs recovered in Rajouri
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 21: Security forces today arrested a teacher-turned Over Ground Worker (OGW) of the militants from village Hari Budha in Mandi area of Poonch district and recovered arms and explosives from his possession.
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The OGW has been identified as Qamaruddin, a teacher posted in a Primary School.
Police and other security agencies developed a specific information about Qamaruddin having turned as OGW and carried out searches at his residence. He was arrested along with one pistol and two hand grenades.
-Excelsior/Imran
The arrest assumed significance as twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch are scheduled to go to polls along with Anantnag in third phase of Parliamentary polls on May 7.
The teacher is being questioned to ascertain his motives behind keeping pistol and hand grenades at his home including the source of supply and the militants to whom he had to handover the consignment. Possibility that the teacher himself had to use the consignment is also not ruled out, the officials said.
The operation is still continuing and further details are awaited, the officials said.
Meanwhile, police assisted by the Army also cordoned off Kalaban top Pathnateer in Mendhar sector this morning and a search operation was underway.
The operation was launched following information about suspected movement in the area, the officials said.
Security forces also busted a terrorist hideout at village Azmatabad in Thannamandi area of Rajouri district, leading to the recovery of eight Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), two wireless sets, and some ammunition, officials said.
The recovered material was in a highly rusted condition, indicating that the hideout was in use when terrorists were operating in the district before it was freed of militancy over two decades ago, officials said.
They said police assisted by the Army launched a search operation at Azmatabad village in Thannamandi area, 30 kms from Rajouri town, and unearthed the hideout.
While one of the IEDs weighed 1 kg, the rest seven were half a kg each, the officials said.
Three magazines of AK-47 rifle, 102 rounds of ammunition, one charger, and two wireless sets were the other items seized.
Security forces were continuing searches in the area. However, no arrests have been made so far.
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