UP police arrests two suspected Jaish-e-Mohammad operatives from Deoband, probing link to Pulwama terror attack

The Uttar Pradesh Police Friday arrested two youths believed to be connected to Pakistan-based terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) from Deoband, Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police O P Singh said.

 The men were nabbed by UP Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) which is also probing their role in Pulwama terror attack last week.

The arrested youths were identified as Shahnawaz Teli, a resident of Kulgam and Aqib Ahmed Malik from Pulwama. They are believed to be between between 20 and 25 years of age, Singh told reporters.

The special police force said that the two had come to recruit people for the terror outfits and were arrested on inputs from a student in Deoband. The student's identity was not revealed.

ATS carried search operations in their rooms and found two .32 pistols with live catridges and mobile phones with "Jihadi chat, videos and photos" in them, it said.

Also Read: Pulwama attack: India gets international support, UNSC names JeM's Masood Azhar

Asked whether the two men were involved in the Pulwama terror attack, Singh said, "It's difficult to tell whether they came here before the Pulwama attack or after that. The probe is on."

He said Jammu and Kashmir police supported the entire operation and the two forces will coordinate with each other in the future too.

The arrest of the two men follows the terror attack on 44 CRPF  troopers killed in 14 February attack in Pulwama, Jammu & Kashmir

Also Read: Pulwama attack: Security beefed up across railway network