DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

Punjab Police has nabbed 13 alleged members of two major ISI-backed Khalistani terror modules that were being run from abroad and seized two rocket-propelled grenades, two hand grenades, IEDs and RDX along with other munitions, a senior officer said on Saturday.

These modules were being controlled by proscribed terrorist outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) from abroad through France-based Satnam Singh alias Satta and Greece-based Jaswinder alias Mannu Agwan, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said.

Officials said more arrests are likely in the coming days.

With the busting of these modules, Punjab Police has foiled a conspiracy masterminded by Pakistan's spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to disturb peace and harmony in the border state, the DGP said. Counter Intelligence (CI) Jalandhar and District Police Batala dismantled the modules in two separate operations and 13 accused including a minor were held, the officials said.

This is a major blow to transnational terror networks targeting peace and stability in Punjab, Yadav said in a post on X.

The DGP said the police seized two rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) including a launcher, two IEDs (2.5 kg each), two hand grenades with detonators, two kg RDX with remote control, five pistols (Beretta and Glock), six magazines, 44 live cartridges, one wireless set and three vehicles.

Sharing operation details, Assistant Inspector General, CI Jalandhar, Navjot Singh Mahal said in an intel-based operation, police teams arrested Jagroop Singh of Basti Amritsarian in Hoshiarpur, Jatinder Singh alias Honey of Daburji in Kapurthala, Harpreet Singh of Hoshiarpur and Jagjeet Singh of Kapurthala, and recovered arms and explosives from their possession.

Preliminary investigations revealed that these accused were working on the instructions of Satnam Satta. Further investigations are being conducted to unearth this entire network and previous crimes, he said

Satnam's name had cropped up in 2010 in an IED and RDX recovery case, said Yadav.

About the second module, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Batala Suhail Qasim Mir said in a week-long intelligence-led operation, police teams apprehended nine people including a 17-year-old.

The other eight arrested have been identified as Pawanpreet Singh, Balbir Kumar alias Varun, Gomji alias Gotta, Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi, Ajaypal Singh, Rahul alias Bhaia and Johanson, all residents of Batala, and Jatinder, a resident of Kapurthala. The SSP said that an inquiry is on and more arrests are expected in the coming days.

(editor@dailyworld.in)