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Srinagar: The Jammu & Kashmir Police claimed to have foiled a suspected suicide attack Friday with the killing of three infiltrators from Pakistan.

The three men, who are believed to be members of the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), allegedly crossed over into India earlier the same day through the international border in Jammu.

Police also arrested three local men accompanying the infiltrators.

One of them was identified as Sameer Dar, a cousin of Adil Dar, the alleged Jaish-e-Mohammed operative who carried out the Pulwama attack last year that killed 40 CRPF personnel.

Inspector General of Police (Jammu) Mukesh Singh confirmed the development and said the three men were being questioned.

Police recovered six rifles, five pistols, smartphones, wireless radio sets, grenades, wire cutters and gelatin sticks from the militants’ possessions, according to a senior officer. Five of the rifles, the officer said, were AK-47s and the sixth a Carbine.

Singh claimed the cache of weapons recovered from the militants “suggests this was a fidayeen squad”.

“We are trying to ascertain what they planned to do… as well as [investigate] their network in Kashmir, of which Sameer Dar is an important part,” Singh added.

“The three men had come to Jammu to receive Jaish terrorists who had infiltrated from Pakistan,” he told ThePrint.

“They were on their way to Srinagar and we are trying to find out what their plan was. But given the amount of arms and ammunition, the three infiltrators might be a fidayeen squad.”

ThePrint called a senior officer of the BSF, which is responsible for guarding the international border, for comment, but they did not offer one.

Also read: European Union is ‘keener’ to seal trade pacts with India than discuss Kashmir & CAA

‘On their way to Srinagar’

The six men, the aforementioned unnamed police officer said, were traveling in a truck when they were intercepted at a toll plaza on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.

The infiltrators, the officer added, were hiding beneath bags of rice stashed in the cargo hold.

“When police began to check the truck, the militants opened fire. One of them was killed in immediate retaliatory action. The other two jumped out of the vehicle and took position nearby,” the officer said. “An hour-long gunbattle ensued. Both the militants were subsequently killed.”

Singh claimed Dar was driving the truck, which belonged to another one of the arrested men, Maqbool. The third person arrested, Asif, is believed to be Maqbool’s employee. All three are believed to be natives of Pulwama.

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