The Jammu and Kashmir Police has busted a newly-formed group of the terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) that had planned to foment violence by targeting security forces and civilians.
A JeM terrorist Mohsin Manzoor Salhea, a resident of Old Town Baramulla, was arrested along with arms and ammunition on Sunday.
He was part of a newly-raised group of three terrorists aimed at conducting terror activities in Baramulla district, the police said.
A month ago, one member of the group was killed in an encounter with the police during which Special Police Officer Bilal Bhat was killed and SI Amardeep was seriously injured.
The second terrorist was arrested some time ago in an operation.
With the arrest of the third and last member, this terror group was smashed and a terror plot to target security forces and civilians has been neutralised, the police added.
Last week, an orange alert was sounded for Srinagar, Avantipur, Jammu, Pathankot and Hindan airbases bases after the monitoring of the terrorists’ movements by the intelligence agencies.
The Indian Air Force bases in and around Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab were put on alert after inputs warned of a possible Jaish-e-Mohammed suicide attack on Indian troops.
Also, a red alert was sounded in Delhi after intel inputs on four Pakistan-based JeM terrorists having infiltrated into the national capital to “carry out terror attacks” in retaliation to the abrogation of Article 370.
Army Chief General Bipin Rawat had earlier said that the Jaish camp in Pakistan’s Balakot, that was bombed by the Indian Air Force in February, had been reactivated recently and about 500 infiltrators were waiting to infiltrate into India.
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval had last month warned that more than 200 terrorists were trying to cross into India from Pakistan and Islamabad was trying to stoke violence in the region.
Earlier last month, three suspected terrorists affiliated to the JeM were arrested by the J-K Police.
On September 9, J-K Police along with the Army and other security forces including the Central Reserve Police Force had arrested eight militants from the Sopore region after busting a terror module of the LeT.
Post the revocation of Article 370, militants have been resorting to civilian killings and threats to instil fear among the people so that the return of normalcy is prevented in the valley.