Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 22: Poonch police today foiled a major terror plot by arresting two militants and recovering consignments of explosives and ammunition from a XYLO vehicle, which was being smuggled from Poonch to Kashmir via Mughal road. The vehicle in which the consignment had been concealed has also been seized.
Police reports said that a police team intercepted XYLO vehicle bearing registration No. 6077 JK12 at Panar bridge in Poshana area of Behramgala under the jurisdiction of Surankote police station this afternoon after developing a specific information that a consignment of explosives and ammunition was being smuggled to Kashmir from Mughal road.
Police subjected XYLO vehicle to frisking and detected the consignment hidden inside the vehicle very tactfully to avoid detection. The consignment included two HE36 grenades, one Chinese grenades, one Chinese pistol with one magazine and four ammunition rounds of 9mm.
Two militants, who were transporting the consignment to Kashmir, were arrested from the vehicles. They have been identified as Mohammad Azam son of Mohammad Akbar and Sikander Khan son of Wali Mohammad Khan, both residents of village Chaprian in Sabjian area of Poonch district.
Police parties headed by Sub Inspector Firdous Ahmad, Incharge Police Post Behramgala made the arrests and recoveries under the supervision of SSP Poonch Jatinder Singh Johar, Additional SP Poonch Amit Gupta, SDPO Surankote Ajay Sharma and SHO Surankote Ashiq Hussain.
The militants have been booked at Surankote police station in FIR No. 202/2014 under Sections 7/25/27 Indian Arms Act and 4/5 Explosive Substances Act. The XYLO vehicle has also been seized, police said.
The militants were being subjected to sustained interrogation to ascertain the source from whom they had taken the consignment of arms and explosives and the militants to whom it had to be delivered in Kashmir.
However, sources said, preliminary investigations indicated that the militants had taken the consignment from some Over Ground Workers (OGWs) of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) or Hizbul Mujahideen outfits and were on way to Kashmir to supply them to militants for committing terror act.
“The plot of the militants has been foiled with the arrest of their two associates and recovery of the consignment,” sources said.
Surankote police has been maintaining high alert on Mughal Road following reports that the road could be used by the militants for smuggling of consignment of explosives by the militants either from twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch to Kashmir or vice versa.
The militants in Kashmir had been running short of weapons. Even in the border district of Poonch, there was not much presence of the militants or weaponry with them. Few militants present in the district were lying low.
Sources said there were reports that a particular group of the militants had sought the consignment for targeting candidates or their houses during upcoming Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The things would be clear during sustained interrogation of the militants when they would be sent to the Joint Interrogation Centre (JIC) in Jammu, they added.
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