Three terrorists killed in two J&K gunfights

Srinagar, Aug 29 (IANS) Three terrorists were killed on Thursday in two encounters in J&K’s Kupwara district as the third operation against terrorists continued in the Rajouri district. 

Officials said that two terrorists were killed in the Machail sector and one in the Tangdhar sector of Kupwara district when the Army foiled infiltration bids in these areas of the Line of Control (LoC).

“Three terrorists have been killed in two anti-infiltration operations, two in Kumkadi area of Machail and one in Tangdhar sector in Kupwara district on Thursday. In the ongoing anti-Infiltration operation two terrorist bodies have been seen by distance in the Kumkadi area and one terrorist body in the Tangdhar area. Due to inclement weather as it is raining heavily in the area, the search operation has been hampered. Once the weather improves operation in the area will continue”, officials said.

The Officials said earlier that following intelligence inputs about the presence of a group of terrorists in Lathi village of Rajouri district, security forces including the Army, local police and the CRPF started a CASO (Cordon & Search Operation).

“When the joint forces came closer to the hiding terrorists, they fired and an encounter started which is now going on”, officials said.

The security forces, including the Army, paramilitary forces and local police, have been aggressively carrying out anti-terrorism operations in J&K for the last two months.

The heightened security alert is being maintained throughout the union territory to ensure that the terrorists are prevented from disturbing the upcoming Assembly elections.

Over 300 additional companies of paramilitary forces are being deployed to augment the strength of the already existing security forces in the UT to secure the democratic process.

After reports of a group of hardcore foreign terrorists operating in the hilly districts of the Jammu division came in, the Army deployed over 4,000 trained soldiers, including the elite para commandos and those trained in mountain warfare to secure the mountain tops in the Jammu region.

Terrorists have carried out ambush attacks against the Army, security forces and civilians in Kathua, Doda, Poonch, Rajouri, Reasi and Udhampur districts during the last two months.

The modus operandi of the terrorists has been to carry out surprise attacks and then disappear into the densely foliaged and forested areas of these distrusts.

The deployment of the Army and the CRPF inside the densely forested areas is meant to deprive the terrorists of this element of surprise.

Senior security forces officers believe that the revised anti-terrorism strategy is working well as the forces have been able to keep the terrorists engaged in encounters so that they cannot carry out sly attacks.

--IANS

sq/dpb