India arrests Pakistani militant, makes huge arms haul in Kashmir

Apr 25, 2009, 12:42 GMT

Srinagar, Kashmir - The Indian army Saturday accused the Pakistan forces of pushing in Muslim militants into its insurgency-hit part of Kashmir as a captured Pakistani militant admitted that over 30 rebels had infiltrated into the region in recent days.

Army officials in state capital Srinagar produced the militant identified as Saqib Moinullah Shah, from Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (NWFP) who they said sneaked into the state a fortnight ago.

Shah, allegedly from the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit, also led the Indian forces to their biggest hauls of arms and explosives in the area.

The 25-year-old militant told reporters that he had crossed into India-administered Kashmir through the Gurez sector alongwith 120 people, including 31 guerrillas of the Hizbul Mujahideen.

The rest of the group comprised 40 porters and snow beaters and guides.

Shah was captured after gunbattles with Indian forces that left 12 militants dead. Six militants were killed in an avalanche and a dozen were still at large, officials said.

The porters, guides and snow beaters had crossed back over the Line of Control that divides Indian-and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

Senior army official Brigadier Gurmeet Singh accused the Pakistan army had been facilitating the infiltration of the guerrillas into the Valley.

'Based on intelligence reports, intercepts of conversations and mappings, it is clear that the Pakistan army has been aiding and assisting infiltration of terrorists into the Kashmir valley,' he said.

Acting on information provided by Shah, the army seized 32 kilograms of high-intensity RDX explosive, 30 automatic rifles, 13,000 rounds and 245 grenades from a militant hideout near LoC.

With a spurt in infiltration from militants from across the border, India's Defence Minister AK Antony will visit the region on Monday to assess security preparedness for the conduct of parliamentary elections.

Militant outfits like the Lashkar-e-Taiba have already warned of suicide attacks and targeting political leaders with a view to disrupting the Indian elections.

Polling has been held in the two rounds in the troubled region since April 16. Three more rounds remain until the elections conclude on May 13.

Kashmir, a disputed region between India and neighbouring Pakistan, has witnessed the deaths of more than 45,000 people since a secessionist militant movement broke out in the late 1980s.

New Delhi has accused Islamabad of aiding and abetting Kashmiri militants, a charge that Pakistan denies. Islamabad said it supports the Kashmiris' legitimate aspirations for freedom.

India has repeatedly accused Pakistan of aiding Kashmiri militants. Islamabad denies the charge, calling the insurgents freedom fighters.