Pakistan-backed terror module busted in Punjab, 3 held

Police intercepted three men returning from Khalra at a checkpoint and recovered two IEDs, two hand-grenades and three pistols, suspected to have been dropped by a drone

Punjab Police have busted a Pakistan-backed terror module with the arrest of three persons and the recovery of arms and ammunition at a checkpoint near Bhagwanpura village in Bhikhiwind sub division of Punjab’s Tarn Taran district.

A search of the car of the accused revealed two improvised explosive devices (IEDs), two hand-grenades and three pistols. Police said they suspect that the arms and explosives were dropped by a drone from Pakistan. (Rpresentative image/HT)

The arrested men were identified as Kulwinder Singh, Kamalpreet Singh Mann and Kanwarpal Singh of Moga district. They were coming from the India-Pakistan border near Khalra in a car on Wednesday night.

A search of the car revealed two improvised explosive devices (IEDs), two hand-grenades and three pistols. Police said they suspect that the arms and explosives were dropped by a drone from Pakistan. The IEDs were packed in two boxes and were yet to be opened by the police, said a senior police official aware of the development.

Tarn Taran senior superintendent of police (SSP) OS Ghuman said, “A team led by Bhikhiwind station house officer (SHO) Navdeep Singh had put up a naka (checkpoint) near Bhagwanpur village on Wednesday night. Our investigation to ascertain the backward and forward linkages of the accused is on.”

Police have launched a search operation in the border area in the Bhikhiwind sub division.

During the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, a joint team of the Punjab Police and Border Security Force (BSF) personnel launched a search operation at the border near Khalra village after a drone was heard in the area.