Pilibhit/Chandigarh, 23 Dec

Three suspected Khalistani terrorists allegedly involved in the grenade attack in Gurdaspur were killed in an encounter with police in Pilibhit early on Monday, with Punjab's Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav terming it as a major breakthrough against a Pakistan-sponsored terror module.

The gunfight between members of the Khalistan Zindabad Force and joint team of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab Police took place in Puranpur area of Pilibhit.

DGP Yadav said the three have been identified as Varinder Singh alias Ravi (23), Gurvinder Singh (25), and Jashanpreet Singh alias Partap Singh (18). They are residents of police station Kalanaur and are accused of attacking the Bakshiwala Police Station in Kalanaur in Punjab's Gurdaspur district. No one was injured in the Bakshiwala incident which took place recently.

Amitabh Yash, Additional Director General (Law and Order), Uttar Pradesh Police said the trio was involved in the grenade attack on a police checkpoint in Gurdaspur. "The three sustained serious injuries in the encounter and were immediately rushed to CHC Puranpur for treatment," he said.

The ADG told PTI that the three suspects later succumbed to their injuries.

Two AK-47 rifles, two Glock pistols, and a huge cache of ammunition were seized from them, he said.

In a post on X, the Punjab police chief said, "In a major breakthrough against a #Pak-sponsored Khalistan Zindabad Force(KZF) terror module, a joint operation of UP Police and Punjab Police has led to an encounter with three module members who fired at the police party."

He said this terror module is involved in the grenade attacks at police establishments in border areas of Punjab. "The encounter has taken place in the jurisdiction of PS Puranpur, Pilibhit, between the joint police teams of Pilibhit & Punjab and the three module members are involved in the grenade attack on a police post in #Gurdaspur," he said.

Later in another post on X, DGP Yadav said, "This module is controlled by Ranjeet Singh Nita, the chief of KZF, and operated by Jaswinder Singh Mannu, based in #Greece, a resident of village Agwan. It is further controlled by Jagjeet Singh, based in the #UK and serving in the #British Army. Jagjeet Singh used the identity of Fateh Singh Baggi".

Investigations are underway to expose all the connections and members of the module and more recoveries and arrests are likely, he said. "I thank the Uttar Pradesh Police for the excellent support given in our inter-state operation," Yadav said.

"This is a classic example of inter-state cooperation in which police forces of UP and Punjab worked together.The information was received by us and a joint operation was launched against the perpetrators," Yadav said in the video message.

Referring to the grenade attack, Congress MP Sukhjinder Randhawa said, "Till today, police were not accepting that there was an attack. They claimed that a tyre had exploded".

A "big conspiracy" is underway to destabilise Punjab and the state is being harmed. Industries are leaving, people don't want to work here, youngsters are leaving as they are afraid, he told PTI Videos.

The Punjab government and the BJP-led central government are hand in glove with each other. The two are working towards the same goal -- how to finish Punjab, he charged. "Today drones and RDX are coming into Punjab from Pakistan. The IEDs that are planted, where are they coming from? Punjab Police has laid down arms before criminals. I have written to the Union home minister and I also request the chief minister of Punjab to protect the people of Punjab," he said.