Police arrest 4 JeM terrorists in New Delhi after encounter

New Delhi, Feb 4 (UNI) Foiling a major terrorist attack in the capital soon after an incident-free Republic Day, Delhi Police today arrested four Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists, including a Pakistani, in the Connaught Place area after a fierce encounter and recovered a large quantity of explosives from them.

''Four activists of the JeM were arrested near the Deen Dayal Upadhaya Park on Minto Road near Connaught Place in the New Delhi police area after an encounter,'' Jt Commisioner of Police (Special Cell) Karnail Singh told mediapersons at the site.

The four were arrested by the police after the encounter at around 2100 hrs. The arrested have been identified as Pakistani citizen Shahid Ghafoor, and Bashir Ahmad, Fayyaz Lone and Abdul Majid -- all residents of Kashmir.

However, there were no casualties in the encounter.

Mr Singh said that their arrest was the result of intelligence sharing between Delhi Police, state police and intelligence agencies but expressed inability to elaborate further on the process.

He said the three Kashmiris had come to Delhi from Jammu with the explosives on the Malwa Express, while the Pakistani citizen, a resident of Sialkot, had met them here.

Queried about their likely target, the Jt Commissioner said that the quantity of explosives recovered from them indicated that their intentions were ''not pure.'' He said that interrogation of the four was on to ascertain their exact objective.

Police recovered a large haul of explosives including three kilos of deadly RDX, four detonators, a timer and six hand grenades from them, apart from 10,000 US dollars, and Rs 50,000 in Indian currency.

Delhi PCC president Ram Babu Sharma also reached the site and said he wanted to congratulate the police personnel who had participated in the operation.

UNI