Gurdaspur attack: 'GPS sets found on terrorists suggest Pak link'

The Global Positioning System (GPS) sets found on the three terrorists killed after they stormed a police station in Punjab’s Gursdapur district have hinted at a Pakistan link to the terror attack, security sources said on Tuesday.

The Global Positioning System (GPS) sets found on the three terrorists killed after they stormed a police station in Punjab’s Gursdapur district have hinted at a Pakistan link to the terror attack, security sources said on Tuesday.

An initial analysis of the GPS sets, which the terrorists used for navigation, yielded “vital clues” about Monday’s terror strike.

The examination of the sets indicated that the terrorists infiltrated into Indian territory from Pakistan at some time during the night of July 21 or the early morning of July 22, the sources said.

“Deeper examination of the GPS sets is underway. An initial appraisal by the security forces (suggests) that the ultras were pushed into India from Pakistan in Narot-Jaimal sector on the night of July 21-22,” a source told Hindustan Times.

The sources said the GPS sets contained recordings of coordinates from 10.51pm on July 21, when the terrorists were in the Narot-Jaimal sector of the border with Pakistan.

After July 21-22, the GPS sets were switched off. The sets have details of coordinates taken on Monday morning.

The sources said this meant the terrorists were in the Pathankot-Gurdaspur region for the past five days and had perhaps surveyed the area before launching their attack on Monday.

"The terrorists used the route of rivulets along the border belt and reached Bamiyal town. While observing that security in the Jammu region, which is very close, was tight, the terrorists moved towards Dinanagar town," a police official told IANS.

The terrorists stormed a police station in Dinanagar town after attacking a bus, a vehicle and a roadside ‘dhaba’. They were killed by special units of the Punjab Police after a fierce gun battle lasting more than 11 hours.

Forensic experts from Chandigarh have scoured the police station for clues about the identity of the terrorists. The car that the terrorists hijacked and used to drive to the police station was also examined.

Punjab Police chief Sumedh Singh Saini said the terrorists were carrying AK-47 assault rifles and Chinese-made grenades.
Seven people, including a senior police officer, three home guard personnel and three civilians, were killed in the attack.

Dinanagar town is just 12 km from the border with Pakistan and 25 km from the Jammu and Kashmir border.

Army personnel during an encounter with attackers at the police station in Dinanagar town in Gurdaspur district. (Sameer Sehgal/HT Photo)

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