Jammu, June 6 : The Jammu and Kashmir police on Friday said that three Sikh groups in the state are planning to launch terror attacks in Punjab to bring back the dark era, which it witnessed in the 1980's.

The arrest of three militants Malikeet Singh, Surjeet Singh and Harbans Singh on Jammu-Akhnoor-Poonch highway threw light on the fact that about 40 terrorists belonging to Khalistan Zindabad Force, Panj Pardhani Group and Iknoor Khalsa Fauj had set their base in Barnala and were planning to destroy peace in Punjab, the police said.

Malkeet Singh's release from a Patiala jail in January was followed by the formation of Panj Pardhani Group, which had some of its members, connected to the Khalsa Dal.

Punjab police has been placed on a high alert. Two police teams from Ludhiana and Barnala have arrived to join interrogation of the arrested militants. (ANI)