Indian police intercept weapons ‘headed for Kashmir’

NEW DELHI: Three men suspected of belonging to a Pakistan-based militant organisation were arrested on Thursday (Sep 12) transporting weapons and ammunition towards Indian Kashmir, police said.

Police intercepted the men early Thursday and seized four AK-56 assault rifles, two AK-47s, 6 magazines and 180 rounds, said police official Shridhar Patil

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"The truck was coming from (Indian state of) Punjab and was on its way to Kashmir. We are investigating where exactly they picked up the ammunition from," Patil told a news conference.

Police said the men, all residents of Kashmir, were affiliated to Jaish-e-Mohammed, the Pakistan-based militant group that claimed a suicide bombing in February in Kashmir that killed 40 Indian troops.

Tensions have heightened in Kashmir since India stripped its part of the region, split between India and Pakistan since 1947 and the source of several conflicts, of its autonomy on Aug 5.

It cut off mobile phones and the internet and moved tens of thousands of soldiers to maintain peace, joining half a million already there in one of the world's most militarisied areas.

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While a few restrictions have been eased, the Indian government continues to keep Kashmiri political leaders under detention and has not lifted severe restrictions on movement and communication.

India's national security adviser said Saturday that a "majority" of Kashmiris supported its move except for a "vocal minority&