2.5kg RDX, five explosives recovered from Gurdaspur

A terror module was busted this week and the interrogation of one of the arrested led the police to the latest cache of explosives, which was to be used to assemble IEDs

SBS Nagar Days after busting of a terror module that had the backing of International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), Shaheed Bhagat Singh (SBS) Nagar police have recovered 2.5-kg RDX, one detonator, codex wire (hollow wire packed with explosives), five fuses of explosives, along with wires and 12 cartridges of AK 47 assault rifle from Gurdaspur.

Punjab director general of police Viresh Kumar Bhawra said that the recovery was made on the disclosure statement of accused Amandeep Kumar, alias Mantri, of Lakhanpal village in Gurdaspur. (HT Photo)

Punjab director general of police Viresh Kumar Bhawra said that the recovery was made on the disclosure statement of accused Amandeep Kumar, alias Mantri, of Lakhanpal village in Gurdaspur. He is the prime accused in two recent incidents of grenade attacks in Pathankot, the DGP added.

Amandeep was among the six operatives of ISYF that the SBS Nagar police had busted on Monday; he has confessed to have carried out two grenade attacks in Pathankot, including at the Pathankot Army camp in November last year.

SBS Nagar SSP Kanwardeep Kaur said following Amandeep’s disclosure, teams had been sent to Gurdaspur district and the explosive material, which according to Amandeep was to be used in assembling of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), recovered.

Police said the self-proclaimed chief of ISYF (Rode) Lakhbir Singh Rode, presently in Pakistan, had provided the explosives to Amandeep through his associate and handler of this terror module, Sukhpreet Singh, alias Sukh, of Kharal village in Dinanagar.

Police said Rode’s name has also cropped up in operationalising a series of terror modules through his network in Punjab, and other countries, since June 2021.

“A large number of militant hardware that includes RDX, tiffin IEDs, associated explosive material for assembling IEDs, hand grenades, fire arms and also narcotics have been pushed by him across the international border, mainly via drones and using his network of cross-border smugglers,” a press note from the police said.