Three Khalistani terrorists arrested, module busted

Punjab Police Monday said it has foiled a joint conspiracy of two Pakistan-based terrorist outfits, the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) and the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), to carry out terrorist strikes in the state.

"We have foiled an attempt to commit terrorist acts by arresting three terrorists from Jammu and busting the joint terrorist module of the KZF and the KLF which was being controlled by KZF chief Ranjit Singh Neeta and KLF chief Harminder Singh Mintu," Jalandhar zone Inspector General Nirmal Singh Dhillon said in Chandigarh.

The module was funded and coordinated by terrorist elements based in Spain and Britain, he said.

Punjab Police, in a joint operation with Jammu and Kashmir Police, arrested the three terrorists - Harpreet Singh, Paramjit Singh and Sarwan Singh Shabba - from Jammu Monday.

In Jammu, a senior police officer said that the three youths were arrested from Simbal camp area in the city.

"They are active members of KZF. Three Pakistani SIM cards and five cell phones have been recovered from their possession," he said.

"They have been lodged in the Gandhi Nagar police station in Jammu. Jalandhar police are taking them to Punjab on transit remand as they are wanted in some terror related cases there," the officer said.

KZF chief Neeta is believed to be hiding in Sialkot (Pakistan) for the last 15 years, he said.

Dhillon said that the terrorists and their masters in other countries wanted to commit terrorist strikes in Punjab.

"The two terrorist outfits had decided to combine their resources and operatives to launch a spectacular and determined terrorist attack in the near future," he said.

He said that the terrorists had visited Pakistan and Thailand and investigations have also revealed that the terrorist module was being funded by Europe-based operatives who were sending funds here through Money Gram and 'hawala'.