Srinagar, Aug 17 (IANS) Two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror associates were arrested by joint forces in J&K’s Bandipora district on Sunday, and arms & ammunition were seized from them, police said.

Officials said that the arrest came after the joint forces, including the army and the J&K Police, set up a joint ‘naka’ (checkpost) at Malpora Nowgam area of Sumbal sub-division in Bandipora.

“Two LeT terror associates were arrested along with arms and ammunition. From their possession, 2 Chinese grenades, 2 UBGL Grenades and 10 rounds of AK rifles were recovered,” an official said, adding the two have been identified as Abdul Majid Gojri, resident of Sadarkote Bala, and Abdul Hamid Dar, resident of Vijpara.

Police have registered a case under the UAPA in this incident, and an investigation has been taken up, the official said.

Security forces have been carrying out aggressive operations against the terrorists in the hinterland, while the army has been on maximum alert guarding the Line of Control (LoC) in J&K.

The elimination of three hardcore Pakistani terrorists responsible for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people were killed, was part of the aggressive operations being carried out by the joint forces.

LeT commander Suleman Shah and his two associates, Abu Hamza and Jibran Bhai, were killed on July 28 in the higher reaches of Dachigam national park on the foot of Mahadev mountain peak in Harwan area of Srinagar.

The Army codenamed it “Operation Mahadev”.

After the Pahalgam terror attack, the security forces are carrying out anti-terrorist operations against gun-wielding terrorists, their over-ground workers (OGWs), and sympathisers.

Drug smugglers and drug peddlers are also on the radar of the security forces because it is believed that the funds generated by the hawala money racket and drug smuggling are finally used to sustain terrorism in J&K.

The coordinated and Intelligence-backed operations of the joint forces are aimed at dismantling the ecosystem of terrorism in J&K rather than focusing on just the elimination of the armed terrorists.

–IANS

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