Pak Army denies arrest of its soldier by Indian authorities

Islamabad, Dec 24 (ANI): The Pakistan Army has rejected India's claim that an infantry soldier of its 10 AK (Azad Kashmir) regiment has been arrested along with two suicide attackers.

Sepoy Ghulam Farid, who had been arrested by Indian authorities, had deserted from Okara on June 6, 2008, Dawn quoted an army official, as saying.

"He is certainly not an army employee. His unit is not deployed on the Line of Control," he added.

An other Pakistan army official added that the Indians might have arrested Ghulam Farid some time in the past.

On Tuesday, Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police Kuldeep Khoda said that preliminary interrogations have revealed that the three militants hailed from Pakistan and were members of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militant outfit.

He said that the three suspected militants were planning a suicide attack in the city.

Khoda said that one of the arrested militants was a serving Pakistani Army personnel.

"The names of the three arrested terrorists are Ghulam Farid s/o Mohammad Shafi, resident of village Ruperi, post office Bastali, district Bhimber, PoK (Pakistan occupied Kashmir), age about 25 years. He is a sepoy, infantry battalion of Pakistan of 10 AK (Azad Kashmir) regiment," added Khoda.

The other two were identified as Mohammad Abdullah belonging to Pakistan's North West Frontier Province and Mohammed Imran, who hails from Dera Nawab in Bahawalpur.

Khoda said that Abdullah, who joined Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in 2006, is well adept in handling weapons and communication devices.

Giving details about their illegal entry, the DGP said in August 2008 the three terrorists had got orders to report to a Karachi-based office to collect their passports and visa.

Khoda said that the suspects told their interrogators that after a two-days stay in Karachi, they left for Bangladesh by air adding that at the Dhaka airport, they were received by a Pakistani named Nadeem, who facilitated their stay in Khulna for three months.

On December 15, they started their journey from Khulna in Bangladesh and sneaked into Indian territory through the land border at night with the help of a guide.

Khoda said that after spending a night in Kolkata they boarded a train for Jammu where they reached on December 20.

The arrests come amidst heightening tensions between India and Pakistan in the wake of Mumbai terror attacks. New Delhi is mounting pressure on Islamabad to crack down on militant groups operating from its territory. (ANI)