J&K Police arrest Poonch resident after suspicious phone calls from Pakistani numbers

Jammu, April 17 (IANS) A resident of Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district was arrested on Thursday in Samba district after three Pakistani phone numbers with incoming calls were found on his mobile phone.

Officials said, “Farooq Ahmed, a resident of Poonch district, was detained in Samba after three Pakistani phone numbers with incoming calls were found on his phone. He was spotted near the Deputy Commissioner’s Office, raising suspicions that led to his detention.”

The Jammu and Kashmir Police are now investigating his connections to probe potential links to suspicious activities, the officials added.

No ISD calls are allowed from Jammu and Kashmir to Pakistan for security reasons.

A massive ‘seek and destroy’ operation is going on in Kathua, Rajouri, Poonch, Kishtwar and Udhampur districts of Jammu division to trace terrorists and engage them in gunfights by the joint forces.

Last week, three Pakistani terrorists, including a top Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) outfit commander, Saifullah, were killed in a three-day operation in Kishtwar district.

Security forces believe that the terrorists, whether local or foreign mercenaries, cannot operate in either the mountainous areas or the hinterland unless they have the logistical support of either the overground workers (OGWs) or sympathisers.

Some locals, motivated by money or propaganda, are believed to support the terrorists. This is what is called the terror ecosystem and includes the terrorists, OHWs, sympathisers and drug smugglers and peddlers, officials have said.

It must be recalled that on March 23, five Pakistani terrorists were spotted by locals in Sanyal village of Kathua district, 4 km inside the International Border.

The local police team immediately reached the Sanyal village and engaged the terrorists in a gunfight. The terrorists fled to Safiyan Jakhole village, where they were again engaged by the security forces.

Two terrorists were killed in that gunfight, while four policemen were martyred. Deputy SP (Border) and three other policemen were injured in the gunfight.

Joint security forces later started a massive anti-terrorist operation expanding the area of search to higher reaches in Kathua and Rajouri districts. A brief exchange of gunfire occurred between the terrorists and the joint forces in the Billawar district of Kathua district.

–IANS

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