2 soldiers taken in for LeT links

Within days of an ominous warning by the country's top security adviser about terrorists infiltrating the armed forces, two soldiers have been picked up in Kashmir for possible links with the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). In the first such case in 17 years of terrorism in the Kashmir Valley, two policemen were also taken in by intelligence officials, besides the two J&K Light Infantry men.

Last week, TOI made public a letter by national security adviser M K Narayanan warning the states that terrorists could have found a way into the Air Force.

Military Intelligence officers picked up the soldiers - identified as Lance Naik Mohammad Shakeel and Sepoy Abdul Haq - to interrogate them about alleged links with a LeT field commander responsible for organising attacks in the border districts of Poonch and Rajouri.

The arrested policemen - Sikander and Kabir - were picked up after a LeT module was busted at Mendhar in Poonch district.

Police sources said that they had been working for LeT for the past three years and the depth of their involvement was being probed.