Suspected Khalistani terrorists killed in UP encounter had ISI backing, carried AK-47s | What we know

The Uttar Pradesh police and Punjab police took down the three suspected Khalistani terrorists in an encounter during a joint operation on Monday.

The three suspected Khalistani terrorists, who were killed in an encounter in Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit early on Monday, were backed by the ISI, Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav said.

Police said that they recovered two AK-47s and two Glock pistols during the operation. (Rohit Kumar Singh/HT)

The three operatives of the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), identified as Varinder Singh alias Ravi, Vi Gurvinder Singh, and Jaspreet Singh alias Pratap Singh, were allegedly involved in a grenade attack on the Bakshiwala police post in Gurdaspur.

DGP Yadav told news agency PTI that the Uttar Pradesh police and Punjab police took them down in a joint operation on Monday. He termed this as a “major breakthrough” in Punjab police's operation against “ISI-sponsored terrorism” in the state.

Addressing a press conference, Yadav said that the module of these three men was run by the Pakistan-based chief of KZF, Ranjit Singh Nita, and he was operating through one Jaswinder Singh Manu, who is based in Greece.

Manu belongs to Agma village, the same as one of the deceased operatives, Varinder Singh alias Ravi.

'British Army soldier's involvement likely'

Further investigations, the DGP said, revealed that Jagjit Singh, based in the UK, the mastermind of the attack, was also involved in the planning.

"He was being controlled and masterminded by one Jagjit Singh based in the UK. Jagjit Singh is reported to be working in the British Army as well. And Jagjit Singh was using the assumed identity of Fateh Singh Bagi. In fact, the credit was claimed in the name of Fateh Singh Bagi of the KZF," Yadav said.

Authorities are investigating deeper into the network to uncover all the connections and members of the module, with Yadav saying that there is a possibility of more arrests in this regard.

DGP Yadav also pointed at the results interstate cooperation can yield.

Uttar Pradesh DGP Prashant Kumar also spoke about the successful result of their operation. He said that in the encounter, the operatives were heavily injured. When they were taken for medical care, they succumbed to their wounds, he added.

Kumar also noted that two AK-47 rifles and two Glock pistols were recovered from the operatives, which indicated that they were planning to cause further harm.

Further investigations into the network are underway.

(with ANI inputs)