Days after Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singhwarned of escalated terror threat to the state from Pakistab-based forces, thePunjab Police on Sunday night arrested two militants, allegedly associated witha UK-based terrorist entity, to avert a possible terrorist attack on/around theIndependence Day.
The police also seized a huge cache of arms andammunition, including 2 Hand-grenades, 1 Pistol (9mm), alongwith live bulletsand magazines from their possession.
The duo, operating on the directions of UK-basedterrorist Gurpreet Singh Khalsa @Gurpreet, were nabbed from Amritsar, and hadbeen tasked with retrieving a weapons consignment sent from across the border,according to DGP Dinkar Gupta.
They consignment was most likely delivered in the borderarea around Attari-Jhabal Road some days ago, he said, adding that
Gurpreet Singh Khalsa @Gurpreet was also involved in theShingar Bomb case Ludhiana.
Giving details, the DGP said that in view of the largenumber of intel inputs indicating plans by Pak ISI and terrorist elements basedabroad, who are working in close collaboration with the ISI, to carry out anattack in India on or around Independence Day, Punjab Police had made extensivesecurity arrangements at the borders. Special security checkpoints were set upand patrolling was intensified 24X7.
During checking at one such naka around midnight betweenAugust 15 & 16, two mobike riders were stopped by police personnel deployedat a check-point near Adda Khalsa by PS Gharinda, (Amritsar-Rural).
The cops found the duo suspicious as they could neitherexplain their presence at the late hour nor produce any valid documentpertaining to the ownership of vehicle. The body search of pillion riderAmritpal Singh s/o Karnail Singh led to the recovery of 1 Pistol (9 mm), 1magazine and 7 live cartridges, said the DGP. The bike was being driven bySammy s/o Ranjinder Singh of Sultanwind, Amritsar.
In total, 2 Hand-grenades, 2 Pistols (9 mm), 4 magazinesand 20 bullets have been seized, the spokesperson said. An FIR no.187 dated16.8.2021 u/s 25/27 Arms Act 1959 and 3,4,5 of Explosive Substance (Amendment)Act 2001, has been registered at Police Station Gharinda, Amritsar, thespokesperson added.
It may be recalled that the Chief Minister had met UnionHome Minister Amit Shah in Delhi last week and sought 25 companies of CentralArmed Police Forces (CAPF) along with anti-drone gadgets for the BorderSecurity Force (BSF) for protection from Pak-backed terror forces.