Last Updated:February 17, 2026, 17:20 IST

Officials said that the Pakistani nationals were tracked to a village in Punjab’s Ludhiana by a police party and were subsequently arrested.

The local individual, who escaped the detention centre along with the duo remained at large and efforts are on to arrest him. (Representational Image)

In a significant breakthrough, security forces nabbed two Pakistani nationals who escaped from a Juvenile Observation Home in Jammu and Kashmir’s RS Pura last evening from Punjab’s Ludhiana.

The duo, identified as Mohammad Sanaullah and Ahsan Anwar, were arrested in Punjab late Tuesday after a massive manhunt, news agency PTI reported.

However, the local individual, who escaped the detention centre along with the duo remained at large and efforts are on to arrest him, officials said.

A major security lapse was reported on Monday evening after three inmates, including two Pakistani nationals, escaped from a Juvenile Observation Home in Jammu and Kashmir’s RS Pura. According to intelligence sources, information was received at around 5:05 pm that three inmates escaped from the facility in Jammu’s RS Pura and fled from custody.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police, in collaboration with the Punjab Police launched a massive manhunt to nab the juveniles. The officials said that the Pakistani nationals were tracked to a village in Punjab’s Ludhiana by a police party and were subsequently arrested.

According to intelligence sources, security agencies started probing whether the escape could involve prior planning, possible tasking, or attempts at cross-border movement back into Pakistan. Investigators also probed whether the juveniles had any external communication while in custody and if there was contact with handlers, over-ground workers (OGWs), or sympathisers.

Sources said that the involvement of a local individual alongside the two Pakistani nationals was being examined for possible cross-ideological or criminal networking, including the use of local facilitators for shelter or logistical assistance.

RS Pura, located close to the International Border (IB), has historically been considered a sensitive zone due to infiltration concerns. According to sources, juvenile facilities are increasingly being viewed as soft targets for radicalisation or recruitment.

(With inputs from agencies)

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