Army unit shoots down Pakistani intruder

Director General of Gujarat Police C P Singh said Mandhra was seen moving about in a suspicious manner near the ammunition store of 45 Air Defence Regiment. On being challenged, he started running away and did not stop despite repeated warnings. One of the jawans then fired three rounds, killing Mandhra on the spot, Singh said.

The DGP said a laminated identity card, bearing the words 8220;Hukumat-e-Pakistan8221; and number 8220;CA 8048788221;, besides fake Indian currency notes of Rs 16,717 were found on Mandhra8217;s body. The identity card bore the address: Ahmed Musa Hatadin, Goiz village, taluka Gola Sarahi, Pakistan. A mirror and a wristwatch were the other articles found on the body.

Sources in Bhuj said Mandhra had made telephone calls to Karachi from an STD PCO at Dayapur, the taluka headquarter of Lakhpat, on June 1 and 2. Police have traced the Karachi numbers he had called and are investigating. Mandhra, who is believed to be working for the ISI, reportedly made two trips to Pakistan in February and March.

The DGP said Mandhra8217;s wife8217;s relatives are in Nakhatrana taluka. He said interrogation of other five Pakistani intruders, who were caught on Friday, was continuing at the Joint Interrogation Centre JIC in Bhuj. They are Sultan Shah and Jumma, both residents of New Karachi; Nawaj Ali Jat, Osman Ali Mohammad and Sachhu Baji Ibrahim, all three from Keti Bander in Sind.

Among the articles seized from them were 55 China-made pistols, eight Brazilian revolvers, 500 rounds of ammunition, silencers for pistols, 10 timer pencils, one two-channel remote switch, several mechanical and electrical detonators, safety fuse, cordite wire, 48 500-gram packs of RDX and fake currency.

They were caught after the BSF spotted footprints in the desert on June 2 and started investigating. The next day, the BSF arrested a boatmen, who admitted that he had brought six men from Pakistan and gave their description.