Vajpayee, Advani, Pilot were on Kashmiri militants’ hit list

Pilot, who was formerly internal security minister, incharge of Kashmir affairs, has survived at least three attempts on his life. His convoy was attacked by militants in Kashmir twice in 1994-95 – at Dalgate in the heart of Srinagar city and in downtown Srinagar. At least three people were killed in the exchange of fire between militants and security officials accompanying Pilot. He was also attacked in Nagaland in 1998.

According to intelligence inputs received by the Delhi police, three terrorist outfits – Lashkar-e-Toiba (LET), Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HUM) – had constituted a jointoperation team of some foreign mercenaries and surrendered militants to target security forces, VIPs and intelligence officials at various places.

The team comprised an Afghan mercenary Abu Kasim (LET), Ghulamnabi Khan alias Amir Khan (HM), Rashid Multani, a PoK national (HUM) and Abdul Ghani, resident of Badgam district in Kashmir valley (pro-Ahl-e-Hadis).

The reports said Ranjeet Singh alias Neeta alias Manpreet Singh, chief of the Khalistan Zindabad Force, based in Pakistan, had entered India to `personally guide the factors of violent actions in the capital in the near future.’

Delhi Police Commissioner Ajai Raj Sharma said police had seized about 70 kg of RDX last year which was sufficient to cause 30 deadly explosions in the capital. He said that the special cell of the Delhi police had taken various measures in coordination with district police and intelligence agencies to ensure that Delhi was free from terrorist activities last year.

The police commissioner said special branch personnelwere actively evolving strategies to deal with any act of terrorism, which has always been a threat to the capital. “We are quite alive to the threat,” the police stated. He said police would be carrying out surprise checks at various crowded places including cinema halls, markets, railway and bus stations etc to pre-empt terrorist strikes. However, it was unreasonable to expect that the police would able to pre-empt a terrorist strike every time.

Special cell officers kept pressure on terrorist elements likely to be present in the city by organising checks and searches, questioning suspects, and constant surveillance on possible hideouts etc.

During 1999, five Kashmiri and four Sikhs ultras were arrested. The terrorists had come to the capital either to cause explosions or target VVIPs or indulge in actions likely to cause communal tension.

A huge cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from them. This included 16.050 kg RDX, nine detonators and wires, four timer pencils, one wireless set and Rs12,50,000 in cash.