ISI linking Khalistanis, Kashmir outfits via narco-terror: Police

New Delhi: Five men from Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab were arrested in Delhi after a brief gun-battle on Monday, the police said, underlining how Pakistan's ISI is trying to link the Khalistan movement with Kashmir-based terror outfits like Hizbul Mujahideen through narco-terrorism.

The Delhi Police said the group was backed by the ISI through narco-terrorism, with money from the sale of drugs in Afghanistan, facilitated with the help of ISI, being used to fund terrorism in India.

According to police, the three arrested Kashmiris were over ground workers of Hizbul Mujahideen and were instrumental in supplying money got from narco-terrorism to the two Punjab men.

"The ISI is acting as a bridge between Khalistan movement and Kashmir-based terror outfits for its ulterior motives and to fund terror in India. The Punjab based component is involved in target killings and the Kashmir component is involved in drugs and supply money to these outfits," the DCP added.

The police denied any links of the arrested men to the ongoing farmers' protest.

Those arrested have been identified as Shabbir Ahmed, Ayub Pathan, Riyaz Rather from Kashmir and Gurjeet Singh and Sukhdeep Singh from Punjab.

Three pistols, two kilo of heroin and Rs one lakh in cash were recovered from their possession.

"The operatives are using the modus operandi of a link chain to dodge investigators... this means even if one chain is caught, the mastermind is difficult to reach," DCP, Special Cell, Pramod Kushwaha said.

Gangsters are also being used for target killings, police said, adding that the two men from Punjab were involved in the murder of Shaurya Chakra awardee Balwinder Singh in Punjab's Tarn Taran district in October. Police said that it was Gurjeet Singh who shot Balwinder Singh.

Police also revealed that these two have connections to Sukh Bikhariwala, who is Gulf-based, and in turn, has links to Pakistan-based ISI operatives.