'Udhampur attack terrorists backed by ISI'

Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday claimed that terrorists involved in Wednesday's Udhampur attack on a BSF convoy were trained 'fidayeens' and backed by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence.

"During the course of preliminary investigation, it transpired that the terrorists involved in the attack are trained 'fidayeens' and backed by Pakistan's ISI in order to wage war against the government of India," police said.

Asked about the route used by the militant to cross over to J&K from Pakistan, Inspector General of BSF, Jammu Frontier, Rakesh Sharma, said, "It is matter of investigation.

Interrogation is being done by J&K Police. I cannot definitely say anything on that."

Replying to another question whether the attack was meant for Amarnath yatra convoy, he said, "It is matter of interrogation what was their intentions. One terrorist has been captured alive and I hope to get some facts out".

Sharma said that there is best possible security along International Border and it is not easy to cross over to this side.

On the question whether BSF was a target, he said it was chance and BSF was not main target of terrorists. "They were looking for a target and BSF convoy passed and it was targeted."

He said that BSF will conduct assessment of border belt along IB and if there is any goof-up in security we will take action.

'ISI trying to push militants to attack hinterland'

Pakistan's ISI has intensified its attempts to push terrorists into India to carry out terror strike in hinterland, similar to last week's Gurdaspur attack, official sources have said.

Quoting intelligence inputs, they said, there have been intensified attempts of infiltration by militants from across the border in recent past.

All these attempts were being made at the behest of ISI with the objective of carrying out terror attacks in hinterland, sources said.

The intelligence inputs suggested that a new strategy was hatched by ISI to expand the area of terror strike from Jammu and Kashmir and militants were being trained for the purpose, they said.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said in Lok Sabha that there were five infiltration attempts from across the border and four of which were foiled and eight militants were neutralised by the security forces in last one month.

On 27 July, three terrorists in army uniforms opened fire on a bus and then attacked the Dina Nagar police station in Gurdaspur district of Punjab.

The terrorists had sneaked into India from across the border taking advantage of an unfenced rivulet.

Three civilians and four policemen, including a superintendent of police, were killed and 15 others were injured in the attack.

In addition, five bombs were found planted on the Amritsar-Pathankot line on a rail-bridge near Parmanand railway station, five kilometres from the site of the attack.

The GPS, recovered from the three slain militants, show that the devices had coordinates of 13 places in Punjab stored in them that include two temples and a college.