The Jammu and Kashmir police on Sunday said they had arrested three Pakistan-linked militant associates and recovered six grenades from them, foiling a terror plot to attack a temple in the border district of Poonch and disturb communal harmony.
Senior Superintendent of Police Ramesh Kumar Angral said the arrested were planning to carry out a grenade attack on a temple at the behest of their Pakistani handler to disturb communal amity in the district.
The officer told presspersons in Poonch that the ploy was revealed after the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the police, along with troops of the 49 Rashtriya Rifles, detained two brothers — Mustafa Iqbal Khan and Murtaza Iqbal of Galhuta village — from their vehicle near Basooni in the Mendhar sector on Saturday.
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On interrogation, it was found that Mustafa had received a call from a Pakistani number and was directed to execute the grenade attack.
“On being questioned further, he admitted to have been tasked with throwing a grenade at a temple in Ari village. A video on how to use a grenade was also found in his phone,” the SSP said.
The SSP said it came to light that Mustafa was involved in militant activities, and on his confession two of his associates — Mohammad Yaseen and Rayees Ahmad of Dabbi village of Balakote near the Line of Control (LoC) — were apprehended.
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Another police official said the three were arrested later, while Murtaza Iqbal is still in custody.
The SSP added, “Vital clues were obtained during the questioning of the trio and searches were conducted in the house of Mustafa from where six grenades, some balloons with Pakistani marking and a few posters of hitherto unknown J&K Ghaznavi Force were recovered.”
Asked about the link between the arrested persons and the December 13 encounter in Dogrian village of Poonch which left two Paksitani terrorists dead, he said it was the follow-up of that very operation.