BackISI training militants to revive terror in Punjab, say spy agencies
Intelligence reports say ISI is making fresh attempts to revive militancy in Punjab by bringing together terror groups from Kashmir and Punjab
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New Delhi: Close on the heels of the Gurdaspur terrorist attack in Punjab, the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan’s spy agency, is making fresh attempts to revive militancy in Punjab by bringing together terror groups from Kashmir and Punjab, central intelligence agencies alerted the home ministry on Monday.
ISI officials recently held a meeting in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) with terror groups, including Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul Mujahideen and Punjab terror outfits like Babbar Khalsa International and Khalistan Zindabad Force, according to the intelligence report, details of which have been reviewed by Mint.
“ISI has also reportedly issued funds and asked these terror groups to strengthen their co-ordination to revive militancy in Punjab," the report said. “A group of 15-20 terrorists hailing from PoK region and other places in Pakistan have undergone training in arms and ammunition at various camps in PoK with help from Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed."
India holds that Saeed is the mastermind behind the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attacks.
Interestingly, the intelligence input adds that the terrorist module being trained to target Punjab was also provided “knowledge of Sikh traditions and Gurumukhi script at the Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib in Narowal district of Pakistan for two months with the help of Ranjeet Singh alias Neeta, chief of Khalistan Zindabad force".
The home ministry on Monday alerted border guarding forces, both the army and the Border Security Force, in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir, to check any fresh attempts of infiltration. Police of the two states have also been put on alert.
“Since the Gurdaspur incident in July, we have been closely monitoring activities of Pakistan-based terror groups. Now we have received these fresh input that ISI is making a concerted effort to revive militancy in Punjab by bringing together terror groups from Kashmir Valley and Punjab," a home ministry official said on condition of anonymity. “We have taken a serious note of this trend and taken necessary preventive measures."
The government needs to take these inputs “extremely seriously as ISI is desperate to open up a new front in Punjab", according to Arun Bhagat, former chief of the Intelligence Bureau.
There are specific reports that this particular terror module could make attempts to cross over into India over the next few days, the ministry official said.
“We have increased surveillance in the entire region of Punjab, Jammu and the Valley as reports suggest that arms and ammunition for targeting Punjab were likely to be sent from the Valley by road. These could be concealed in artificial cavities created in the chassis of trucks operating on the Jammu-Pathankot highway,’’ the official said.
Bhagat claimed that since militants in Kashmir were not able to make a major impact in the Kashmir Valley due to sustained operations by the security forces, the ISI wants to divert its focus towards Punjab once again.
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