LeT men shot, cops see Maya link

Apart from weapons and bombs, a map in Urdu was also seized from them. “The map seems to be of the area where the Chief Minister’s residence is. The police barrier is shown in the map. However, their target is a matter which needs investigation,” said Additional Director General of Police (STF) Brij Lal.

The weapons seized include two AK-47 rifles, four magazines with cartridges, ten hand grenades, one detonator, and one suicide belt. State DGP Vikram Singh visited the encounter site later in the morning.

The ADG (STF) said SSP Amitabh Yash had received a information about the LeT’s plan in Lucknow. Subsequently, a team was put to work to collect more information. Then the STF got concrete information about their movement on the Barabanki-Lucknow road in a Maruti car bearing registration number UP-32A/ 4374.

It was around 5.50 am when the STF team spotted the Marutri car coming from the Barabanki direction. “The STF team tried to stop the vehicle. After initially ignoring the signals, they came out of their vehicle with weapons and opened fire on the police party. They also raised slogans — Lashkar-e-Toiba zindabad. The police returned fire and both were killed on the spot,” said the ADG. He said both were suicide bombers.

Sources in the STF claimed the explosive material was to be kept in the buckle of their belt. “There was space to fix a small battery. We have also recovered a battery,” the source said. He added the suspected terror module had infiltrated into India through the Nepal border.

The STF has also nabbed two suspected militants Khalid Mujaheed and Muhammed Tariq from Barabnki district. The STF claims they were involved in the November 23 serial blasts on the court premises in Faizabad, Varanasi and Lucknow.