Chandigarh, 23 December 2024: Three terror suspects believed to be involved in a grenade attack on a police checkpoint in Gurdaspur were killed in an encounter with a combined team of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab Police early on Monday. Punjab’s Director General of Police, Gaurav Yadav, called the operation a major victory against the Pakistan-backed Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF).
The suspects—Gurvinder Singh (25), Virender Singh (23), and Jaspreet Singh (18)—were all from Gurdaspur in Punjab. Police confirmed that they had links to the grenade attack on a police checkpoint in Gurdaspur earlier this year.
According to Uttar Pradesh police officials, the clash occurred in Pilibhit’s Puranpur area, where the suspects sustained serious injuries. Amitabh Yash, Uttar Pradesh’s Additional Director General (Law and Order), stated, “They were immediately taken to a local health centre, but unfortunately, they died of their injuries.”
Authorities also recovered firearms, including two AK-47 rifles, two Glock pistols, and ammunition during the encounter.
The Punjab Police Chief, Gaurav Yadav, took to social media to announce the success of the joint operation: “This is a major breakthrough against a Pakistan-sponsored KZF terror network. The suspects were involved in grenade attacks at police posts in the border regions of Punjab.”
Yadav added that the encounter took place in Puranpur, Pilibhit, where the three suspects engaged in a firefight with joint police teams. The suspects were linked to a larger terror module, which was overseen by Ranjeet Singh Nita, head of the KZF, and managed by Jaswinder Singh Mannu, a resident of Agwan village now based in Greece, with oversight from UK-based operative Jagjeet Singh.
Investigations continue to uncover more about the module’s structure, with cooperation from both Uttar Pradesh and Punjab police to address the larger terrorist threat.
Punjab Police extended their gratitude to Uttar Pradesh Police for their support in conducting this significant interstate operation.
