LeT terrorist arrested in connection with drone-dropped arms case

A Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist was arrested in connection with the recent recovery of an arms consignment dropped by a drone from Pakistan in a village near the International Border here, a senior police officer said on Tuesday. Irfan Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Verinag area of south Kashmir's Anantnag district, had come to Jammu to allegedly receive the arms consignment which was recovered by police from Sounjana village of Phalian Mandal, about six km from the IB on October 2, Additional Director General of Police, Jammu, Mukesh Singh said.

The recovery included an AK assault rifle, three magazines, 30 rounds and one optical sight.

A case under various sections of Indian Penal code, Arms Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act was registered at police station Satwari in connection with the recovery.


"Bhat stands arrested in connection with the case registered at police station Satwari on October 2. He has confessed that he is in touch with handlers across (the border) and is associated with the LeT outfit," the officer said.

Drone activities from Pakistan have witnessed an alarming increase over the past one year, posing a major challenge to security forces guarding the borders.

Security forces shot down two drones and recovered a large quantity of payloads including rifles, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), sticky bombs and narcotics at different places over the past one year.

The security grid at the border was also intensified after the dropping of two bombs by drones at the Indian Air Force (IAF) station Jammu in June this year.