LUDHIANA: Punjab Police claimed to have recovered 34.5 kg of explosives from three people near village Kaunke in Jagraon district on Friday.

Inspector General of Police (Zonal) Sanjiv Kalra said the three, Amrik Singh, Daljit Singh and Sarvjit Singh alias Sokhu, have been arrested. All three are residents of Moga.

Kalra said they were working at the instance of intelligence agencies across the border and one Surjit Singh Mahal of Jalandhar district who is now based in Hamburg, Germany.

He said the three had told the police that they had visited Pakistan a number of times for training in handling explosives and that they were associated with the Khalistan Zindabad Force. The three had told the police that their main targets were vital installations including defence installations, railway property including tracks, oil drums and crowded places, said Kalra.

The explosive was to be distributed among members of the gang, he said.