Tarn Taran strike: ISI, Landa Harike gang plotted RPG attack; 7 arrested
Amritsar/Tarn Taran, December 16
The Punjab Police arrested seven persons, including two juveniles, in connection with the December 9 rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack at the Sarhali police station in Tarn Taran district.
The police said the attack was carried out at the directions of Pakistan’s ISI in coordination with Canada-based terror module run by gangster Lakhbir Singh, alias Landa Harike, and his Europe-based accomplices Satbir Singh Satta and Gurdev Singh Jassal.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said one of the arrested persons, Ajmeet Singh, was lodged in Goindwal jail in a murder case. He coordinated with the handlers through mobile phone.
Besides Ajmeet and the two minors, others arrested in the case were identified as Gurpreet Singh (18), alias Gopi Numberdar, of Naushera Pannuan; Gurlal Singh (19) of Chohla Sahib; Surlalpal Singh (21), alias Gurlal, alias Lali, of Thathiya Mahanta; and Jobanpreet Singh (18), alias Joban, of Naushera Pannuan.
The DGP said, “The foreign-based handlers used the dead letter box technique for establishing contact with the module members, who were aware only about their roles. Even the identities of sub-modules remained hidden from other sub-modules.”
Three key handlers engaged different sets of people to carry out different tasks, from taking delivery of RPG launchers to keeping it in safe custody for eight days before firing at the target. The two juveniles who carried out the attack were not known to each other till the day of the attack, the DGP said.
The police seized three pistols — two .32 bore and one .30 bore — along with ammunition, a hand grenade and a bike used in crime. A Soviet-era single-use 70 mm RPG launcher was seized earlier. The police are trying to trace the route through which the weapons reached Punjab. They have already tracked the trail of Rs 8.5 lakh paid by the handlers to the module members. — TNS
To learn to fire rocket, used YouTube
- Two juveniles were tasked by Landa and his aide Satta to execute the attack
- They learnt to fire RPG through YouTube, video calls by Landa, the DGP said
- A Landa gang member provided logistic support, gave Rs 1 lakh to the juveniles
