The Uttar Pradesh police on Friday claimed to have arrested two alleged Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists who were posing as students and recruiting youths for the group from Deoband in Saharanpur district.

The police identified them as Shahnawaz Ahmad Teli from Kulgam and Aquib Ahmad Malik from Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir. They were arrested from the seminary town on Thursday night and .32-bore pistols along with cartridges were allegedly recovered from them, state police chief O.P. Singh told journalists.

Singh said Teli and Malik were in their twenties and were living in Deoband although they had not taken admission anywhere.

They were on their job to recruit for the Jaish-e-Mohammad, which has claimed responsibility for the February 14 terror attack in Pulwama in which 40 CRPF soldiers were killed, Singh said.

The police chief said the anti-terror squad got a tip-off about the two from an alert student after which a probe was started. The two men were arrested following surveillance. 'The ATS recovered a .32-bore pistol from each of them with cartridges. Jihadi chats, videos and photos were also recovered. These are being investigated,' the DGP said, adding that the duo will be brought to Lucknow on a transit remand.

Asked whether the two men were involved in the Pulwama terror attack, he said: 'It's difficult to tell whether they came here before the Pulwama attack or after that. The probe is on.'

'Both are being interrogated on when they arrived from Kashmir... how many other members are involved. Have they succeeded in recruiting anyone in JeM, from where did they get funding and how much, what was their target after recruitment,' Singh said.

He said Jammu and Kashmir police supported the entire operation.