With the recovery of a consignment of arms and ammunition that was being transported from Jammu to Srinagar, the security agencies have foiled a major plot of the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed terror outfit to carry out target killings in the union territory

Acting on specific information, the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Army conducted a swift operation and arrested two terror associates and recovered a large quantity of arms and ammunition that the duo was transporting from Jammu to Srinagar in a tipper truck.

Sources say that majority of the arms and ammunition recovered in the operation comprise pistols that point towards the terrorist’s plan to carry out “target killings” in the Union territory.

A senior police officer said that a check post was laid after security forces were alerted by intelligence agencies about the possible transportation of arms and ammunition from Jammu to Srinagar.

He said that the police in Kulgam established a joint checkpoint with Army’s 9 RR at Lower-munda crossing in Qazigund, where a tipper truck coming from Jammu towards Srinagar bearing registration no JK02BB-0949 was intercepted by the joint forces.

While searching the vehicle, large quantity of arms and ammunitions including two AK 56 rifles eight AK magazines, ten 9mm pistols, 18 pistol Magazines, 90 9×19mm ammunition and nine grenades were recovered, an official said.

Sources in the security forces added that initial investigations revealed that the consignment recovered from Kulgam had come from Pakistan and was supposed to be delivered to the Kashmir commander of the Pakistan based terror outfit Jaish e Mohammed.

“We suspected that the weapons were dropped via drones near the international border either in the RS Pura sector of Jammu region or in the Samba sector. The BSF too in the last few weeks had reported increased drone activities along the international border” the sources said.

He said that the recovery of large number of pistols has alerted the security agencies as they are now probing if there has been a shift in the strategy of terror outfits in the valley.

“Pistols are not meant to fight with security forces, they are meant to be concealed and carry out target killing of soft targets, like the one of the BJP leader Rakesh pandita, who was killed few days ago in Tral” he said.

The police said that the driver of the tipper truck and his accomplice who have been identified as Zahid Nabi Dar resident of Sambora Kakapora Pulwama and the driver Mehraj Din Dar a resident of the same locality have been detained and the both are believed to be terror associates.

Less than 24 hours ago, security forces had busted another plot of Pakistan to send arms and ammunitions into the Indian side using drones via line of control in the Thanamandi area of Rajouri district.

Police said that after some suspicious movement in the upper reaches of Azmatabad area of Thanamandi a joint search operation was launched by 48RR of the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police.

“During the search operation in the general area Manyal arms and ammunition comprising of four pistols with eight magazines 105 rounds, one AK rifle with two magazines and 54 rounds along with packaging material and tying ropes was recovered.

The police said that from the initial investigations, it appears that this cache of arms and ammunition may have recently been dropped in the area from across and was meant for onward transmission to the Kashmir Valley.