Jaish terrorists planned ‘something big’ on 26/11

PM holds review meeting, Thanks SFs for foiling it

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held a review meeting with the top security brass, including Home Minister Amit Shah, as it emerged that Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists killed in an encounter on the outskirts of Jammu, were planning a big terror operation on the anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai attack.
Government sources said NSA Ajit Doval, foreign secretary and top intelligence officials attended the meeting in which Modi took stock of the situation.
The terrorists were planning “something big” on the anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, the sources added.
Four suspected Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists were killed and two policemen injured in a gunbattle in Nagrota on Thursday after a truck carrying newly infiltrated militants was intercepted, police had said.
The Prime Minister said that the killing of four terrorists of the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed at Nagrota in Jammu region and the recovery of a large cache of weapons and explosives from them indicated that they planned to wreak major havoc and destruction targeting the local elections in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Elections to District Development Councils (DDC) in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir are being held on November 28.
The Prime Minister thanked the security forces for their bravery and professionalism and for defeating the terrorist plot once again, thwarting the 'nefarious designs of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed to wreak havoc and destruction during the grassroots level democratic exercises in Jammu and Kashmir.'
“Neutralising of 4 terrorists belonging to Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed and the presence of large cache of weapons and explosives with them indicates that their efforts to wreak major havoc and destruction have once again been thwarted. Our security forces have once again displayed utmost bravery and professionalism. Thanks to their alertness, they have defeated a nefarious plot to target grassroots level democratic exercises in Jammu and Kashmir,” the Prime Minister tweeted.
Sources said the Prime Minister also held a meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and senior officials and discussed the developments.
It was found that the terrorists were planning a “major attack” on the anniversary of the 26/11 terror attack, they added.
Mumbai had come under attack on November 26, 2008, when 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists targeted the city in a series of coordinated shootings and bombings that injured over 300 and claimed the lives of 166 people in India’s financial capital.
On Thursday, the encounter between terrorists and security forces broke out in the early hours near Ban Toll Plaza in the Nagrota area of Jammu district. The encounter lasted for three hours in which four terrorists were eliminated.
According to sources, the four terrorists are likely from the United Nations-designated terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). “These terrorists used old modus operandi and had recently infiltrated the Indian side. An investigation is underway,” they added.
Mukesh Singh, Inspector General of Police, Jammu Zone had said that it was possible terrorists were planning a “big attack” and targeting the upcoming District Development Council (DDC) elections in the Union Territory.
The DDC elections will be conducted in Jammu and Kashmir in eight phases between November 28 and December 19, and the counting of votes will take place on December 22.
The IG, Jammu Zone also informed that the kind of seizure from the encounter site is “unprecedented”. “It’s possible that they were planning a big attack. This kind of seizure is unprecedented. It is possible that they were targeting the DDC election. However, “we are investigating,” Singh said.
The encounter broke out after a truck was intercepted at 5 am on Thursday during a routine check.
“During the search, CRPF soldiers and police were fired upon using heavy ammunition, and grenades were also lobbed. More forces were called in and the encounter went on for 3 hours,” the IG said.