Poonch: Police and Army recovered a pistol and five grenades in Mendhar area of Poonch district on Sunday.
The fresh recovery was made during an operation near LoC village Dabbi of Balakote, the officials said.
Senior Superintendent of Police Poonch Ramesh Angral said that on December 28 last year, three militant associates were arrested in Balakote area near LoC with six hand grenades were recovered from their possession.
The trio includes Mustafa Khan of Galuta, Mohammad Yaseen and Rayees Ahmed of Dabbi Balakote.
SSP said that during sustained interrogation of the trio, some more vital clues were developed after which Police team headed by SDPO Mendhar Zaheer Jafri and Army launched an operation in Dabbi village located ahead of LoC fence in Balakote from where a consignment of arms, ammunition and grenades were recovered on Sunday morning.
The recovery includes one pistol, three pistol magazines, thirty five bullets and five hand grenades.
He said that today’s recovery is the third recovery under this module of militant associates busted in LoC area of Mendhar.
SSP Poonch Ramesh Angral said that Jammu and Kashmir Gazanvi Force is a militant outfit which was operating from Pak.
He said Jammu and Kashmir Gazanvi Force apart from militant activities is now also 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 in the first recovery of six hand grenades were made from the arrested persons and 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, he said.
” The handlers from across used to drop the consignment in hidden patches right infront of Indian locations and these arrested militant associates than managed to pick it up for further carriage in hinterland.” SSP said.
The total recovery made so far include 13 grenades, 03 pistols, 05 pistol magazines, 105 pistol bullets, one flag of Tehreek ul Majahideen Jammu and Kashmir and 18 posters of J&K Gazanavi Force, the officer added. (GNS)