6 suspected terrorists spotted in Pathankot near Pakistan border, alert sounded
The Punjab Police and Army have initiated a search operation to locate the suspected men.
Security agencies have sounded an alert after reports of six suspected terrorists being spotted in Punjab's Pathankot. The men were said to be carrying bagpacks.It was earlier reported that they were in Army fatigues, however, the local police later said that the men were in salwar-kameez.
The Punjab Police and Army have initiated a search operation to locate the suspicious men.
The news about suspected terrorists being spotted in has come just days after intelligence inputs revealed that Zakir Musa, a former Hizbul Mujahideen commander and slain terrorist Burhan Wani's successor, could be hiding in Punjab.
Posters were put up in the state to help people identify Musa, the founder and chief of Al-Qaeda cell Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind.
Intelligence inputs had said that Musa and his aides may have been planning to move to towards New Delhi.
Punjab Police had last week issued an intelligence note, saying at least six to seven terrorists belonging to banned Pakistan-based group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) have sneaked into state.
Earlier, four suspicious men had snatched an Innova SUV at gun point near Madhopur area of Pathankot. The police is yet to trace the vehicle and its occupants.
The similarity of the incident to modus operandi of terrorists who attacked Pathanakot airbase in 2016 had raised an alarm for the security forces.
In 2016, terrorists, who had launched attacks on the Pathankot Air base, had snatched a Punjab police officer's car to get to the air base.