A truck with AK-47s enroute to Valley: How a fidayeen strike by the JeM was averted

New Delhi, Sep 13: In less than a week, the security agencies have bust two plots in which terrorists were attempting to create havoc in Jammu and Kashmir.

Terrorists of the Jaish-e-Mohammad were apprehended with a huge cache of arms and ammunition on the Jammu-Pathankot highway in Kathua. They were transporting arms in a truck and had planned on carrying out a terror attack in the Valley, officials familiar with the investigation tell OneIndia.

The truck was loaded with cardboard and the arms were concealed in the same. The seizures led to the recovery of AK-56 (4) and AK-47 rifles (2). The police also seized six magazines and 180 rounds of live ammunition. The police also recovered cash of Rs 11,000.

The men who were arrested have been identified as Ubaid-ul-Islam, Sabeel Ahmed of Rajpora and Jahangir Ahmed of Budgam. The truck bearing the registration number JK13, E-2000 belongs to one Suhil Ahmed Latoo of Gulshanabad, Pulwama.

The motive was to enter the Valley and carry out a fidayeen strike. They had used the Bamyal sector at Pathankot and had planned on entering the Valley through Amritsar, initial investigations have found.

However this fact has not been ascertained as yet and according to Punjab Inspector General of Police (border ranger) S P S Parmar, the truck could get into J&K from Himachal Pradesh as well.

Terrorists have however over the years preferred the Bamyal route. There have been several instances in the past, when terrorists have gained entry into the Valley by using the area between Bamyal and Hiranagar. Intelligence Bureau officials have said that this is considered to be a safe path for illegal trade. Moreover the Bamyal sector has fewer checkpoints. Further it may be recalled that the terrorists who carried out the Pathankot attack had crossed over into Punjab from the Bamyal sector.

This development comes just days after the Jammu and Kashmir police busted a Lashkar-e-Tayiba module, which was trying to spread propaganda and also intimidate the people.

The police say that they are questioning Aijaz Mir, Omar Mir, Tawseef Najar, Imitiyaz Najar, Omar Akbar, Faizan Latief, Danish Habib and Showkat Ahmad Mir. They were not only trying to intimidate people in the area but were also spreading false propaganda to create tension.

The police found that they had prepared posters to warn people against supporting the Indian administration. They were also distributing the material to intimidate people and spread misinformation, the police have also learnt.

The police is currently looking for Sajad Mir, Mudddasir Pandith and Asif Maqbool Bhat on whose instructions the 8 persons were acting.

Sources say that this is something that the Lashkar-e-Tayiba is trying to do in every district in the Valley. Ever since the abrogation of Article 370, terror groups have tried to intimidate people against supporting the decision of the government.