159 terrorist modules busted in India

New Delhi, Mar 16 (UNI) As many as 159 Pakistan or ISI-backed terrorist modules have been busted in various parts of the country during 2001-2005, including 28 in 2005, the Union Home Ministry said today.

As many as 488 persons were arrested and 86 terrorists, including 57 Pakistani nationals, were killed, according to the ministry's annual report for 2005-06 released today.

During 2001-05, 99 espionage modules (including 18 modules in 2005) were also neutralised leading to arrest of 199 espionage agents.

The report said the terrorist outfits operating and indulging in acts of terror in India continued to be based in Pakistan or Pakistan Occupied Kashmir(POK).

"The infrastructure of terror remains largely intact in Pakistan or POK," it said.

It said the terrorists continued to be sponsored and infiltrated into India from across the border and also through other routes.

The report said known anti-India elements and those declared as fugitives from the law in India, are sheltered in Pakistan. "The focus of the Pak-based or Pak-ISI sponsored terrorist outfits is also to promote disaffection and communal disharmony among the Indian people towards the stte with a view to destabilising the country," it said.

The report said the main features of the ISI strategy in India included: intensification of low cost and proxy war operations in a wide area extending from Jammu and Kashmir to the hinterland, focussing on plans of coordinated atacks by militant outfits on security forces, mainly in J and K and increasing use of India's immediate neighbourhood for executing its plans.

Its strategy also included continued disinformation campaign to discredit India's security forces for alleged violation of human rights, espionage, subversion, indoctrination and training of vulnerabale sections of society, provide direct and indirect support to the underworld elements operating in and outside the country and create communal disturbance in the country.

UNI SH VD DB2044