Thursday, March 24 2005 15:02 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Malda (WB): Militants have been looking at Bangladesh as a transit point to infiltrate the Kashmir valley, a top al Badr militant arrested in West Bengal has disclosed.

Militants are planning to enter Jammu and Kashmir via Bangladesh since their traditional routes had been 'effectively blocked' due to fencing along the Line of Control (LoC), a Defence spokesman said.

During interrogation, Aijaz Ahmad alias Javed Khalid said he was sent to the Indo-Bangla border to facilitate the entry of militants via Bangladesh into Jammu and Kashmir, with the help of two local militants, Nazibulla and Sonu Sheikh.

The militant also disclosed that he had visited Delhi and Mumbai in October last year to expand the militant base in the two cities for 'acts of sabotage', the spokesman said.

Aijaz, code-named 'Muslim chacha', had been operating in Quaziabad Handwara in Kupwara district of north Kashmir for the past three years.

The West Bengal police arrested Aijaz at Shalipura-Kalyanchak village in Malda district on March 21.