A Pakistani national captured along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district on Sunday is a a terrorist guide, said officials on Monday.
Mohammed Arif Ahmed, son of Mohammad Yousuf of Datote in Nikiyal area of Kotli district in PoK, was captured by troops on Sunday near forward Hajura post in Gambhir area of Rajouri district. He is being interrogated to extract more information.
He was leading a group of four Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists into the Indian side when he was overpowered and arrested by alert army troops on Sunday afternoon, said a defence official, adding that the four Jaish ultras, who were with him, jumped off a cliff and entered Pak territory but also sustained injuries in the process, said the official. The Indian troops didn’t open fire because they were within Pak territory and a Pak army post was nearby, he added.
A mobile phone and around ₹20,000 in Pakistani currency was recovered from Arif. “He confessed that he worked for Pak army to help terrorists infiltrate into the Indian side,” he said. “He is being interrogated and crucial intelligence is being extracted. This will help in further strengthening the counter-infiltration grid,” said the official.
Earlier this morning, another senior defence official had stated that alert troops while capturing the terrorists’ guide also foiled an infiltration bid by heavily armed terrorists belonging to the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) outfit along the Line of Control (LoC) in Gambhir area. “The swift and decisive action by alert troops resulted in the capture of a key guide, effectively disrupting the infiltration attempt and likely causing injuries to the infiltrating terrorists,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier this morning, another senior defence official had stated that alert troops while capturing the terrorists’ guide also foiled an infiltration bid by heavily armed terrorists belonging to the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) outfit along the Line of Control (LoC) in Gambhir area. “The swift and decisive action by alert troops resulted in the capture of a key guide, effectively disrupting the infiltration attempt and likely causing injuries to the infiltrating terrorists,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“Acting on specific intelligence inputs regarding a fresh attempt to push terrorists across the LoC, the army along with BSF initiated a well-coordinated counter-infiltration operation on Sunday. Vigilant troops, maintaining an aggressive surveillance posture in the rugged terrain of the Gambhir area, detected suspicious movement of a group of four to five heavily armed individuals attempting to exploit the difficult terrain and dense foliage to infiltrate,” he informed.
“During further operation one individual, later identified as a guide facilitating the infiltration, was successfully apprehended. The remaining four terrorists, believed to be members of JeM, have sustained injuries during the attempt to escape and were forced to retreat back across the LoC,” he said.
A thorough search operation was launched in the area post-action, leading to the recovery of sensitive items, including mobile phone and Pakistan currency, he informed.
On initial interrogation the apprehended individual confirmed that he is a resident of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir close to LoC and worked on directions of officers of Pakistan Army in forward posts, said the officer.
“The individual also confirmed that the JeM terrorists had significant quantities of warlike stores, including arms, ammunition, and other incriminating materials, further confirming the nefarious intentions of the infiltrators,” he added.