Two suspected Pak terrorists killed in Noida shootout

Noida, Jan 25 (PTI) In a pre-dawn shootout, two suspected Pakistani terrorists, one of them hailing from Mohammad Kasab's district, were killed here when they tried to enter Delhi from neighbouring Ghaziabad, possibly for an operation on the Republic Day in the national capital.

An Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) personnel
was also injured. Meanwhile, four persons were picked up for
questioning.

"We are questioning four persons picked up, on initial
suspicion, from different areas in and around Noida," a senior
police official said.

The incident took place at 2.35 am (IST) at Sector 97
near Unitech plot after the terrorists, travelling in a white
Maruti car, opened fire on the ATS team, leading to an
exchange of fire between the two sides.

"One of the terrorists, while being taken to hospital
identified himself as Farooq, a resident of Okara in Pakistan,
and his companion as Abu Ismail from Rawalakot (POK)," UP
Additional Director General of Police Brij Lal told reporters
in Lucknow.

"Two AK-47 assault rifles, four magazines, 120
bullets, five hand-grenades, nine suspected RDX rods,
detonators, a Pakistani passport and Rs 18,000 were recovered
from the terrorists," Lal said.

"The passport recovered from Farooq bears the name Ali
Ahmed, resident of Rahimyaar Khan in Pakistan," the ADGP said,
adding some documents like identity cards and diaries were
also recovered from them.

The officer said the ATS team had been working for the
past one month on a terrorist module and around midnight
Saturday night, it got the information that the two persons,
equipped with AK-47 rifles, in a white Maruti car were trying
to enter Delhi from Lalkuan in Ghaziabad.

The ATS unit deployed at Amity outpost saw the suspected
vehicle coming at around 2.15 am and tried to stop it, on
which the terrorists opened fire at the team, he said.

In the retaliatory fire, the two terrorists and an ATS
personnel Vinod Kumar Singh were injured, Lal said.

The ATS team was also assisted by the Noida police during
the operation.

The injured were rushed to the hospital, where the two
terrorists were declared brought dead by the doctors, the
officer said, noting that the constable was out of danger.

"We are probing what the terrorists were up to and who
were their local contacts," the ADGP said.

"Acting on a tip-off, an intensive vehicle checking drive
was launched on the Delhi road near Amity outpost," Lal said,
maintaining the shoot out lasted half-an-hour.

"On being surrounded by the ATS unit, the terrorists
opened fire on the personnel and in the ensuring encounter,
one of the terrorists was hit by a bullet," he said.

"In the cross firing an ATS constable Vinod Kumar was
shot at by the second terrorist," the ADGP said.

The second terrorist too sustained bullet injuries in the
encounter, he said.

When asked whether the UP police had got any information
from the central intelligence agencies in this regard, he said
"though we are always in touch with these agencies, it was
totally an operation of the UP police".

Meanwhile, the four arrested persons are being
questioned. "We are questioning four persons picked up, on
initial suspicion, from different areas in and around Noida,"
a senior police official said.

However, nothing substantial has cropped up so far
during their interrogation. "It was an initial interrogation
and no clue has been received so far," he said. PTI TEAM
DEP