Anti-terror operations against three groups of “highly trained militants” in J&K’s Udhampur, Kishtwar and Anantnag districts failed to make headway for the third day on Monday (August 12, 2024).
The search-and-cordon operation, which started on August 10 in Ahlan Gagarmandu area of Anantnag district, continued for the third day. Additional deployments were made to replenish the team involved in a combing operation against three to four militants hiding in a forest area, which falls between the Chenab Valley and the Kashmir Valley.
Officials said the hiding militants were using the topography to their advantage. The forest belt has dense green cover, steep slopes and natural caves. The operation is going on at an altitude of 10,000 feet, with mobilisation of security personnel limited owing to lack of roads. Official sources said the past three days witnessed a couple of contacts with the militants.
Two soldiers and one civilian were killed in the initial exchange of fire between militants and security forces.
Alert in Kishtwar
In the Chenab Valley, the Kishtwar operation, which saw a gunfight on August 11, has failed to track down the militants. An alert has been sounded in Kishtwar, and security forces are preparing to increase patrols in the upper reaches to cut off mobility of the militant groups.
No militant could be traced in Basantgarh of Udhampur on Monday. The area witnessed two stand-offs between security forces and militants on August 6 and August 11. On both occasions, the militants managed to flee after a brief exchange of fire.
Nine arrested
Meanwhile, the police claimed to have busted a ring of supporters of militants, and arrested nine local residents, including a kingpin, in the Doda-Udhampur-Kathua belt.
The police identified the kingpin as Mohamed Lateef, alias Haji Lateef. All nine have been taken into custody as “enemy agents”, officials said.
These locals, according to the police, “in active collusion with terrorist handlers across the border, played a crucial role in receiving the foreign terrorists after their illegal and surreptitious entry into India in the Samba-Kathua sector.”
They are also accused of providing initial shelter and food to the terrorists, and for guiding them to the upper reaches of the mountains and jungles of Udhampur-Kathua-Doda districts
The police said one local admitted that three terrorists killed in the Gandoh encounter in Doda “had taken their help in hiding and travelling without being detected till they reached the upper reaches”.
More than 50 persons living in temporary hutments in the upper reaches have been investigated for allegedly providing food, shelter, or communication help to the terrorists.
Published - August 12, 2024 11:24 am IST
