In a significant crackdown on a Pakistan-sponsored terror module, three suspected Khalistani terrorists accused of attacking police posts in Punjab’s Gurdaspur were killed in an encounter with the police in Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit district early Monday morning. The joint operation, conducted by the Punjab Police and Uttar Pradesh Police, marked a major breakthrough in the ongoing efforts to neutralize the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) terror network operating along India’s border regions.
Punjab Police Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav shared details of the encounter on the social media platform X, highlighting that the module members opened fire on the police before being neutralized. The suspects, identified as Gurvinder Singh, Virendra Singh, and Jasanpreet Singh, were involved in recent grenade attacks targeting police establishments in Punjab’s border areas, including the Bakshiwal and Wadala Bangar police posts in Gurdaspur. Both posts had been closed temporarily due to staff shortages, making them vulnerable to such attacks.
According to Pilibhit Superintendent of Police Avinash Pandey, the operation unfolded in the Puranpur police station area following intelligence inputs about the suspects’ presence. Acting on information from Punjab Police, a search operation was launched, and police teams set up blockades. A tip-off later alerted authorities to three young men riding a motorcycle suspiciously in the direction of Pilibhit, carrying potentially harmful items. The suspects were intercepted near a canal track at an under-construction bridge, where they opened fire on the police. In the retaliatory exchange, all three were injured and rushed to a local hospital but succumbed to their injuries.
Authorities recovered two AK-series rifles, two Glock pistols, and a large cache of ammunition from the encounter site, indicating the module’s intent to carry out further attacks. The joint police operation underlined the collaborative efforts of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh police forces in combating cross-border terrorism.
The recent grenade attacks had created a sense of fear among residents in Gurdaspur, with explosions at the Bakshiwal and Wadala Bangar police posts shaking nearby communities. Despite being closed posts, these attacks highlighted the growing audacity of terror elements in targeting security infrastructure. Monday’s operation dealt a critical blow to the KZF terror module, reinforcing law enforcement’s resolve to dismantle such threats.
