Security forces arrested three Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) “terror associates” and recovered ammunition and cash from their possession in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, police said on Sunday.
A police spokesman said during checking and patrolling at Kalgai near Jhula foot bridge in the district on Saturday, security forces intercepted two suspected persons coming from Kamalkote towards the national highway carrying bags.
The two were identified as Zameer Ahmad Khanday and Mohammad Naseem Khanday, both residents of Madiyan Kamalkote.
During their personal search, three Chinese grenades and Rs 2.5 lakh in cash were recovered from them, the spokesman said.
“A case was registered and during sustained questioning, both the accused disclosed that they illegally acquired grenades while cash was provided to them by one Manzoor Ahmad Bhatti so that they could execute any terrorist act,” he said.
“Bhatti was picked up for questioning during which he disclosed that he had supplied the grenades and cash to the two persons for the commission of terror acts and had also kept one hand grenade and cash at a location near his house,” the spokesman said.
The Chinese hand grenade and Rs 2.17 lakh were recovered after his disclosure. Bhatti has also been arrested, and further investigation in the case is going on, the spokesman added.
“They were working as terrorist associates and were linked with the proscribed terror outfit LeT/TRF,” the police said.
According to the police, “TRF or The Resistance Front is a shadow outfit of the LeT.”
Separately, the security forces on Sunday arrested a “terrorist associate” of Ansar Guzwat-ul-Hind (AGH) organisation in south Kashmir’s Shopian district, police said.
At a checkpoint in the district, security forces intercepted a suspected person coming from Kundalan towards Shopian, a police spokesman said.
He was identified as Farman Khursheed Wani, a resident of Gagren in Shopian.
During the search, incriminating materials, arms and ammunition, including a pistol, two pistol magazines, 10 rounds of 9mm caliber and a mobile phone were seized from his possession, the spokesman said.
During preliminary questioning, the arrested terrorist associate disclosed that he was working as a terrorist associate of banned organisation AGH and was supposed to carry out attacks on security forces in the district, the spokesman added.
A case has been registered in this regard and an investigation has been initiated, he added.