Arms, ammunition seized in JK's Poonch

Security forces Sunday recovered a cache of arms and ammunition near the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, a police officer said.

This was the third round of recovery of arms and ammunition in the district following the busting of a three-member module of Jammu and Kashmir Gazanvi Force.

Poonch Senior Superintendent of Police Ramesh Angral said the fresh recovery has been made during a search and cordon operation from Dabbi village along the LoC in Balakote sector.

The recovery include one pistol, three magazines, 35 bullets and five hand grenades, he said.

Three militant associates were arrested in Balakote area on December 28 and six hand grenades were recovered from them.

“During sustained interrogation of the trio, some more vital clues were developed after which police team along with Army launched an operation in Dabbi village located ahead of LoC fence in Balakote from where the consignment of arms, ammunition and grenades have been recovered this morning," the SSP said.

He said this is the third recovery under this module of militant associates busted in the LoC area.

Angral said Jammu and Kashmir Gazanvi Force is the militant outfit which was operating this module from the Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK).

“Jammu and Kashmir Gazanvi Force is trying to carry out militant activities and is attempting to target religious places with an aim to trigger communal tension in Jammu region," he said.

He said in the first recovery of six hand grenades that was made from the arrested three persons, it is evident that grenades were to be lobbed on religious places in Ari and Mendhar town areas of Poonch district.

The second recovery was made from Dabi village wherein two pistols, seventy bullets and two grenades were recovered.

"The handlers from across (the border) used to drop the consignment in hidden patches right in front of Indian locations and these arrested militant associates then managed to pick it up for further carriage in hinterland," the SSP said.

He said the total recovery made so far include 13 grenades, three pistols, five magazines, 105 rounds, four Pakistan made balloons, one Tehreek ul Majahideen terror group’s flag and 18 posters of J&K Gazanavi Force.