JAMMU, 27 December 2020, (TON):  The military authorities deployed in Poonch area said on Sunday that a joint search and cordon operation, involving Military Commandos, Special Operation Group (SOG), troops of Rashtriya Rifles (RR) Jammu and Kashmir Police was carried out which foiled a terrorist attempt that would have led to attack on Hindu Mandir. The military authorities claimed that they recovered a mobile phone from the possession of terrorist which contained videos regarding tactics of grenade lobbing etc.

Jammu Police said that military authorities handed over three militant and six grenades, which they claimed to have been recovered from their possession.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Poonch, Ramesh Angral gave a different version of a story and said that security forces set up a checkpoint in the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday at Basooni and intercepted a vehicle in which Mustafa Khan, a resident of Galuta Harni, was travelling. He was in possession of six grenades so he was apprehended for questioning. Later, on his identification , two more militant namely Muhammad Yaseen, son of Walayat Khan and Rayees Ahmed, son of Muhammad Iqbal, both resident of Dabbi Balakote were arrested. According to Jammu Police, another militant Mustafa Khan’s house was raided and six grenades were recovered from his possession.

The SSP claimed that during investigation, they confessed that they were in regular contact with the handlers in Pakistan who were instructed them to carry out terror strikes.

In an official statement Police said, “It has also come to fore that the accused were planning to carry out strike at religious places in Poonch which was an attempt to trigger communal tension in the region. Some videos regarding tactics of grenade lobbing were also found in the mobile phones of accused.”  

In the recent weeks Indian security forces and the military have started fake operations in which self generated information is shared with media to result in media headlines against Kashmir movement and involvement of agents from across the border. The media is asking the Indian Army to present the militants before them but the authorities are reluctant.