New Delhi:
Gurdaspur terror attack on Monday reminded India of the dastardly 26/11 terror attacks which were carried out by Lashkar-e-Toiba after much planning from the soil of Pakistan.
According to the Home Ministry reports, the Gurdaspur attack was undertaken by the same terrorist group which was behind the deadly terror attack in Mumbai.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has termed the attack as “serious”.
Entry
Preliminary investigations into the Gurdaspur terror strike indicate that the three suspected Lashker-e-Taiba militants had entered the country through Bamiyal village in Pathankot, located close to the international border.
The suspected terrorists are believed to have crossed over from Shakargarh in Pakistan to Bamiyal village and later traveled to Parmanand village, official sources said.
The entry creates a striking similarity with 26/11 attacks, showing that they were prepared for a long haul.
Hijack and hostage attempt
The terrorists tried to stop a tempo traveler and later hijacked a car to reach Dina Nagar police post. It was not immediately known as to how they reached Parmanand village of Gurdaspur, which is 26 kilometres from Bamiyal village, they said.
The investigators are pinning their hope on seized Global Positioning System (GPS), a compass used by travelers to reach their destinations.
The GPS has been sent for forensic examination.
The attackers in 26/11 attack also tried to snatch a vehicle and fired at passer-by’s.
High-tech Weapons
Sophisticated weapons and Chinese grenades were used by the terrorists who attacked passengers in a moving bus and stormed a police station, killing seven persons, including policemen, in Gurdaspur district today, the Punjab Police chief said.
According to Home Ministry sources, 2 GPS, 3 AK-47, 10 magazines and 2 China made grenades have been recovered from the attack site.
The 26/11 attackers also had very high-tech weapons.
Pakistan terror plotter?
The perpetrators of the terror strike in Punjab are suspected to have sneaked into India from Pakistan through the unfenced border between Jammu and Pathankot or Chak Hira in Jammu district to launch the brazen assault about which central agencies had intelligence inputs.
Union Home Ministry sources said the terrorists belonging to LeT may have entered the Indian territory around last midnight and hit the highway using Paharpur road, nearly 15 km from the international border, to unleash mayhem that left six dead, including an SP rank officer of Punjab police.
Ajmal Kasab and other attackers came to India from Pakistan via sea route.
Militants killed
All the militants were killed in retaliatory action just like 26/11 attacks.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said that the timing and methodology of the Gurdaspur terror attack was “eerily similar” to the past incidents in India.
In a series of tweets, Omar wrote, “will be very interested to see what emerges about the identity of the terrorists involved in the Gurdaspur attack this morning. The timing of the attack, methodology & location are all eerily similar to attacks in the border belt.”
(With PTI inputs)
