Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir Police has arrested eight over-ground workers of terrorists involved in facilitating the infiltration of foreign militants into the country, officials said on Monday.
The terror module was busted in Kathua district, where the group operated to aid terrorist movements in the upper reaches of Doda, Udhampur, and Kathua districts along the India-Pakistan border.
More than 50 local residents are under investigation for their connections with these terrorists, and for providing them with food, shelter, or communication assistance, a police spokesperson said on Monday.
In an encounter in the Gandoh area of Doda district on June 26, three terrorists responsible for attacks on security forces were neutralised, resulting in injuries to five soldiers and a special police officer (SPO).
The arrested members of the terror module were identified as Mohammad Lateef alias Haji Lateef, Akhtar Ali, Saddam, Noorani, Maqbool, Kasim Din Liaquat, and Khadim hailing from Ambe Naal, Bhadu, Juthana, Soffain, and Kattal villages in the Billwara belt of Kathua district, the official said.
Describing the arrests as a significant breakthrough, the spokesperson said these operations are part of ongoing efforts by the police to counter terrorist activities and dismantle their networks.
"The kingpin of the module, Lateef, was in active communication with terrorist handlers across the border and played a crucial role in receiving foreign terrorists who illegally entered India via the Samba-Kathua sector," the spokesperson said.
Besides providing initial shelter and logistical support, the module guided terrorists to the mountainous and jungle areas of the Udhampur-Kathua-Doda districts, particularly around Kailash mountain, a tri-junction area.
During interrogation, module members disclosed that the terrorists killed in the Gandoh encounter had received assistance from the module to evade detection until they reached the upper reaches.
The spokesperson said that over 50 individuals from the local community, residing in temporary summer huts for grazing purposes, were questioned for coming in contact with the foreign terrorists.
Only a few among them did not report the matter to the police while some even accepted money from the terrorists in return for favours, police said.
Those who reported their contact with terrorists to the police promptly are considered innocent. However, others with prior connections to terrorists and their handlers are being investigated for liability, the official said.
Police have urged the public to promptly inform them about any interaction with terrorists and a failure to report such a matter is not only a criminal offence but also risks affecting access to government benefits, cautioned the police spokesperson.