Three JeM militants arrested in J-K's Kathua

Three Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militants were arrested in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, a senior police officer said.

During checking, a truck, loaded with cardboard material, was intercepted at 8.00 am on the Jammu-Pathankot Highway and three militants were arrested with arms and ammunition, Inspector General of Police, Jammu, Makesh Singh told PTI.

"Today, we intercepted a truck JK 13E-2000 on specific inputs at Lakhanpur and arrested three persons," Senior Superintendent of Police Kathua Sridhar Patil told reporters in Kathua.

The arms and ammunition recovered included four AK-56 rifles, two AK-47 rifles, six magazines and 180 rounds of ammunition, besides a cash of Rs 11,000, the SSP said.

All of the militants belonged to the Kashmir Valley, he said, adding that the truck, with its registration plate of JK 13E-2000, was owned by one Suhil Ahmed Latoo of Gulshanabad, Pulwama and was driven by one Javaid Ahmed Dar.

Police identified the three as -- Ubaid-ul-Islam, a resident of Aghlar Kandi, Rajpora Pulwama; Jehangir Ahmad Parray, a resident of Pakherpora Charar-e-Sharief, Budgam; and Sabeel Ahmad Baba, a resident of Aghlar Kandi, Rajpora Pulwama.

He said they were illegally transporting arms and ammunition to Kashmir from Punjab to "disturb peace in the Valley".

The SSP said the arms and ammunition might were smuggled to arm the JeM modules in Kashmir for carrying out terror activities.

It is believed that either of these suspected militants infiltrated from across the International Border via Bamyal border in Pathankot to the Kashmir Valley with the help of over-ground workers, he said.

Sources claim that the militants were planning to execute a major terror attack.

Punjab Police have rushed a team of state special operation cell (SSOC) to Kathua for joining the investigation.