Slain militants infiltrated into J&K to blow up running trains: BSF

Jammu: The three heavily-armed militants killed by BSF in Samba district had infiltrated into Jammu and Kashmir to carry out a chain of terror attacks by blowing up running trains and tracks with chained IEDs and hard to detect liquid explosives, a top force official said on Wednesday.

A day after the three infiltrators were killed by the BSF, top officials said the trio was carrying five bottles of liquid explosive trinitroglycerin. "Militants had infiltrated to carry out big incidents. Their design was to blow up rail tracks and trains here as we have recovered chained IEDs and liquid explosives", Additional Director General (ADG) BSF and Special DG (Western Command) Arun Kumar said.

They were out to carry out a chain of big impact terror incidents including blowing up of "running trains" and causing fire in trains as chain IEDs and liquid explosive are meant to blow up tracks and cause fire, he said.

"Had our troops not successfully contained and eliminated these heavily armed terrorists with huge stores of explosive material, they could have caused massive damage in the mainland", Kumar said.

"It was only because of BSF's multi-tier security cover that this calamity was averted," the force said.

Apart from arms, ammunition and explosive stores, BSF recovered 10 Improvised explosive Devices (IEDS) including five liquid type IEDs and three IED waist belts, five chain IEDs from three slain militants along IB in Chambiliyal belt of Ramgarh sector in Samba district yesterday.

"Chain IEDs are mainly used to blow up rail tracks and hit running trains. The five bottles of liquid explosive contained trinitroglycerin. It is used to cause explosion and trigger fire", IG BSF Jammu Frontier D K Uphadayaya said.

Terrorists are resorting to use of undetectable liquid explosives like nitroglycerin now, the official said.

Nitroglycerin can be used for dynamite, explosive devices and poison. Invented in 1847, it is made by adding acids to glycerin. Viscous and clear, it easy to conceal in lotion or shampoo bottles, an expert said.

Physical shock can start a chain reaction that breaks molecules down into carbon dioxide, water and oxygen. The breaking of the bonds between the atoms creates an explosion, he said.

The Jammu-Pathankote railway line is 20 kms away from the the International Border (IB).

There have been several attacks targeting trains and tracks in Jammu-Samba-Kathua belts in the past. It may be recalled that on 27 July, 2015 three gunmen dressed in army uniforms opened fire on a bus and then attacked the Dina Nagar Police Station in Gurdaspur district of Punjab after planting five chain linked bombs (IEDS) on the Amritsar-Pathankot line near Parmanand railway station, 5 kilometres from the site of the attack.

A railway trackman, while patrolling along the railway track between Dina Nagar and Jhakholari railway stations, spotted five bombs wired to a small bridge on the Amritsar-Pathankot line just before a passenger train was due to cross the bridge.

The train stopped 200 metres from the bombs. The attack resulted in the death of three civilians and four policemen, including a Superintendent of Police. Fifteen others were injured.

All three attackers were killed in the operation, which lasted almost 12 hours. Militants crossed into IB and triggered bomb blasts on Jammu railway station in August 7, 2001 killing 12 people and injuring 29.

Similarly, infiltrating militants blew up a track in Samba on October 26, 2003. On February 10, 2000, infiltrating militants triggered blast in Shalimar Express train in Satwal in Kathua district killing five persons.

The infiltrating militants were also carrying 10 hand cuffs with a design to carry out hostage taking. "We have recovered from them 10 hand cuffs in plastic. I think they were planning to carry out hostage taking as part of engineering terror incidents", the IG said.

Three AK-47 rifles, a pistol, 20 magazines, 514 AK rounds, a pistol magazine, 16 pistol rounds, 31 live grenades, 10 IEDS including 5 IED waist belts, five chain IEDs (used to blow up railway tracks), Global Positioning System (GPS), one mobile, two wireless sets with chargers, 2 knives, 2 dressing rolls, 2 jackets, 3 bags, one head gear, one lighter, 3 gloves, 5 dry fruit packets and Pakistan made eatables were recovered from the slain terrorists in Ramgarh sector yesterday.