Jammu: After a brief exchange of fire, Army has arrested three militants along with a huge consignment of arms and narcotics, an Afghan- made cookers fitted with 10 Kg of Improvised Explosive Device (IED) on the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.
A defence spokesman said that the militants were arrested after an exchange of fire near the border fence when they were noticed very close to the Line of Control. An Army personnel and one of the militants were injured in the firing.
“In a joint operation by Army along with police, three-four militant were intercepted on LoC in Poonch sector while attempting to cross the fence on the night of May 30 and 31, taking advantage of bad weather and heavy rain,” Jammu-based Army PRO Lt Col Devender Anand said in a statement.
After tracking the movement at about 1.30 am, the spokesperson said an Army ambush, on challenging them, was fired upon and in the retaliatory firefight some militants have been hit.
“The area is cordoned and a search operation is in progress. Blood trails have been found. Three militants with some weapons, war-like stores including one IED and narcotics have been apprehended. One Indian Army soldier was injured in the ensuing firing and has been evacuated,” Lt Col Anand said.
The injured militant has been shifted to a civil hospital under police custody. Sources said that for the first time Afghanistan made a pressure cooker IED recovered by troops from militants. Script in Urdu language with Peer Baba Manufacturer, Afghan has been written on the pressure cooker. The strain cooker is loaded with 10 kg of RDX.
The recovered utensil has been offered on the Amazon on-line buying website beneath the identity of Baba Strain Cooker. The Baba stress cooker is a specifically formed container made in Afghanistan that’s used to prepare dinner giant quantities of meals. Considering the capability of this kitchen, the militants positioned about 10 kg of explosive materials in it in order that their plan to trigger nice harm in India would succeed.
Sources added that during the questioning the militants revealed that they planned to plant an IED loaded cooker at Poonch’s Gulpur Bridge to target army convoys.
Officials said the incident took place at forward Karmara village in Gulpur sector after troops guarding the border picked up suspicious movement and challenged the persons which led to a gunfight.
The officials identified the arrested accused as Mohd Farooq (26), who received a bullet injury in his leg, Mohd Riaz (23) and Mohd Zubair (22), all residents of Karmara.
They are believed to have received the arms and narcotics consignment from across the border and were trying to smuggle it into this side when they were intercepted by the troops, the officials said. The seizure made from the arrested persons included an AK assault rifle, two pistols, six grenades, a 10-kg IED which was planted inside a pressure cooker and 20 packets of suspected heroin.
Later, IED was later neutralised by the experts of the bomb disposal squad, the officials said. The search operation in the area was on, the officials said
