ATS nabs two Pak nationals for entering India via Nepal

Lucknow: The UP anti-terrorist squad (ATS) arrested two Pakistan nationals, accusing them of entering India illegally through the Indo-Nepal border and posing as Indian citizens using fake documents. The ATS also arrested their Indian accomplice.
The arrested individuals, Mohammed Altaf Bhat (35), Sayyed Gajanfar (65) and their Indian aide Nasir Ali (30), were allegedly planning terrorist activities in India after receiving training from Hizbul Mujahideen, facilitated by the ISI.ATS said that Bhat hailed from Rawalpindi, Gajanfar from Islamabad and Ali from Kashmir.
Inspector general of ATS, Nilabja Chaudhary said that intelligence reports suggested that these individuals, aided by Pakistani intelligence agency ISI, were planning to infiltrate India via Nepal to carry out terrorist acts. Following this information, the ATS initiated a surveillance operation in Gorakhpur, leading to the interception of the suspects at Farenda village in Sonauli on the border.
During interrogation, Bhat disclosed his background, stating that he had undergone training in Hizbul Mujahideen’s camp in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan, with the aim of promoting separatist activities in Kashmir. He claimed that ISI and Hizbul Mujahideen were recruiting Indian nationals to instigate terror in India. “Altaf was influenced by reading the literature of Hizbul Mujahideen and listening to the speeches of chiefs of other jihadi organisations. Altaf took arms training in Hizbul’s camp and stayed in the camp for a long time and worked under the guidance of several commanders there,” Chaudhary said, based on the questioning of the arrested accused.
Bhat was instructed to travel to Jammu & Kashmir via Nepal to execute their plans. In Kathmandu, Bhat met Ali and Gajanfar, who provided them with forged Aadhaar cards and directed them to enter India.
Ali is a resident of Kashmir and through WhatsApp got in touch with an ISI agent named Salim. Salim instructed Ali to meet Kamaalqir in India and then Bhat and Gajanfar, the ATS said.
The ATS officials said they will further investigate the three to gather more information about their activities after taking them on remand. “We will be questioning them on their plans of terror acts,” said the ATS.