Operation against terrorists continues, drone watch

Jammu. The operation of security forces against terrorists is going on in Jammu and Kashmir. In the last few days, terrorists had targeted non-Kashmiris. Now despite bad weather in Poonch and Rajouri districts, the anti-militancy operation continued for the 13th day on Saturday. Meanwhile, Home Minister Amit Shah is also on a visit to Kashmir and he is taking stock of the security situation in the state.

Last week, nine army personnel were martyred in two separate attacks by terrorists hiding in these forests. According to officials, two more suspects were taken into custody for interrogation as joint search operations by the army and police continued to nab the terrorists hiding in the dense forests of Mendhar and Surankot in Poonch and Thanmandi near Rajouri.

An army official said that a large part of the forest has been excavated and now the search operation is limited to the area where there are many natural caves. “After the initial firing on October 11 and October 14, there has been no direct face-off with the terrorists,” the official said. The search operation has been expanded to nab the terrorists.

He expressed hope that if the weather is right, the work of excavating the natural caves will be completed in a day or two. Since Friday night, the higher areas of Jammu and Kashmir, including Pir Ki Gali, adjoining Poonch-Shopian, have received the first snowfall, while the plains have received rain, resulting in a drop in the day temperature. Officials said that security forces are keeping a close watch on suspicious places with the help of high-tech drones.

Meanwhile, two suspected explosive devices were destroyed by the search parties of the army in the Bhatta Durrian forest of Mendhar. Locals were advised not to step out of their homes in the area on Tuesday as a measure of security as soldiers were moving into the forest. In the forest areas of both the border districts, the operation began on October 11 when terrorists ambushed a search party at Surankote in Poonch, killing five soldiers. After that an encounter broke out in nearby Thanmandi on the same day.

After the encounter the terrorists fled from both the places but on 14 October they again attacked in Nar Khas forest of Mendhar and killed four soldiers. The security forces increased their operation to eliminate the terrorists. The officials said that drones and helicopters were deployed in the eight-km-long and two-km-wide forest area to assist the personnel engaged in the search, as well as para commands were landed. This area is just four kilometers away from the Line of Control.

Officials said that the entire forest area is under the ambit of the search operation by the security forces to eliminate the terrorists, but the operation is difficult and dangerous due to the mountainous area and dense forest. Officials said two persons, who worked as load carriers for the army, have been taken into custody for questioning from Mastandhara in Surankot. He said that 12 people have been taken into custody so far. A terrorist lodged in Jammu’s Kot Balawal Jail is also being interrogated.