India has arrested 24 ISI agents this year

New Delhi: As many as 24 ISI agents have been arrested for spying for the Pakistani intelligence agency so far this year, the Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday.

“In addition to these 24 agents, one Pakistani spy agent detected in October 2016 was Pakistan High Commission, New Delhi based intelligence officer Mehmood Akhtar,” minister of state for home Hansraj Ahir said replying a written question.

Of those, who were arrested so far this year, nine were detected in Rajasthan, six in Punjab, two in Gujarat, two in Jammu and Kashmir, one in Uttar Pradesh and four in Delhi. Mr Ahir said some of the staff posted in Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi is suspected to be involved in running espionage network. The official who was apprehended by the Delhi Police for spying was consequently declared persona-non-grata by the Indian authorities.

“The Government is taking adequate steps to counter such incidents in future. The Government is resolutely committed to take all necessary steps to ensure the security of the nation and the safety of our citizens,” he said.

Later, as an answer to a question posed by a Congress MP, Mr Ahir spoke about the investigations into the Pathankot terror attack on January 2. He made it clear that only four militants had entered the airforce station to carry out the strike that left eight people dead.

Four Pakistan-based terrorists entered Punjab via Janial road, Dhusi turn, near Ravi river bridge, Gulpur Simli village - Akalgarh and attacked airforce station in Pathankot,” the minister said in a written reply.

2 more held for terror links
Continuing with its probe in the blasts outside court premises in South India since April this year, NIA on Wednesday arrested two more persons for allegedly being involved in the conspiracy to carry out bomb explosions by a group sympathising with terror outfit Al-Qaeda.

With Tueday’s arrest, the number of people arrested in the case has gone to five. The NIA, along with police forces from Tamil Nadu and Telangana, had arrested three persons on Monday’s for the five bomb blast cases in court premises of Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka since April. Among Tuesday’s arrests was Mohammed Ayub Ali, 25, of Madurai and the other person helld was Shamsudeen, 25, a resident of Madurai too.