Srinagar- Security forces in north Kashmir’s Sopore killed two terrorists in a joint operation at the Sagipora area on Friday. The operation, which was launched based on intelligence inputs regarding the presence of terrorists in the area, also resulted in the recovery of a huge cache of arms and ammunition.
Commander of the 7th Sector Counter Insurgency Force (Kilo), Deepak Mohan said two terrorists were killed. He described the operation as a “major success” for the security forces.
“Over the past few days, we had received specific intelligence inputs regarding terrorist activities in Sopore. Acting on this information, a joint operation was launched by the Indian Army, Jammu & Kashmir Police and CRPF forces. The area was cordoned off, and during the search operation, we encountered suspicious movements,” he said.
Mohan, who was accompanied by the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of North Kashmir, Maqsood Ul Zaman and Superintendent of Police (SP) Sopore, Divya D, said the terrorists opened fire on the Army troops while taking cover behind local settlements. The alert security forces retaliated effectively, taking care to minimise harm to civilians. “We managed to control the situation and evacuated nearby houses to ensure the safety of the local population,” he added.
The troops continued to monitor the movement of the terrorists using quadcopters, and on the morning of November 8, the terrorists resumed firing. Security forces responded swiftly and neutralised the terrorists, the commander said. “We ensured the safety of local residents throughout the operation.”
While the identities of the slain terrorists are still being ascertained, the officials believe they were part of a terrorist group that had been active in north Kashmir for some time. “The identification process is still ongoing, but our sources and the recovered weapons suggest that these terrorists were part of a larger network operating in the region. Their elimination is a huge success for our forces,” Mohan said.
The recovery of arms included two AK-series rifles with nine magazines, a pistol, a grenade and other war-like stores.
Commander Mohan also credited the success of the operation to the unwavering support of the local population. Their support in maintaining peace and order in the region is invaluable, he added.
This operation follows a string of successful counter-insurgency efforts in recent weeks. “In collaboration with Jammu and Kashmir Police, we have been able to track and neutralise several known terrorists involved in militancy in north Kashmir,” Mohan said.
Regarding the identification and possible affiliation of the killed terrorists, the DIG Maqsood Ul Zaman said that investigations are still in progress. “The operation has just concluded, and the process of identifying these individuals is underway. We will confirm their affiliation after a thorough investigation,” he said.
When asked if the slain terrorists were part of the same group involved in recent attacks in Bandipora and Kupwara, Zaman said it was too early to draw conclusions. “We are investigating the matter, and a case has been registered. Further investigation will clarify whether they were part of that same group or not,” he added.
The DIG North Kashmir said there had been reports of infiltration in the area, which could suggest that the terrorists involved in this operation were from a newly infiltrated group. “Everything will be clarified once the investigation is complete,” he said.
This marks the third major gunfight in north Kashmir in recent days. Earlier, one terrorist was killed in an operation in the Bandipora forests, while another was neutralised in the Lolab area of Kupwara.
Bodies Of Slain VDGs Recovered
The bodies of two village defence guards (VDG) killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district were on Friday recovered from near a rivulet during a search operation, officials said.
A massive cordon-and-search operation is also underway in Kishtwar to track down the terrorists responsible for the killings.
According to officials, the two VDGs were executed by terrorists on Thursday after being abducted in the higher reaches of Kishtwar district. Their bodies were spotted lying near a rivulet in the Pondgwari area in Keshwan belt.
The Army and Special Operations Group (SOG), after locating the bodies, carefully conducted an operation to recover them, the officials said, adding that the bodies are being transported to the deceased’s homes in the district.
A joint search operation involving the police, Army, and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has been launched in a dense forest area following the gruesome killings, which have been condemned by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, and leaders from the People’s Democratic Party, Congress, and the BJP.
The operation is concentrated in the Kuntwara, Ohli, and Munzla Dhar hilly areas, with reinforcements dispatched early this morning, the officials said.
Security forces have intensified efforts, deploying drones and sniffer dogs, with a helicopter seen hovering over the forested area this morning, they added.
“Two VDG members, Nazir Ahmed and Kuldeep Kumar from Ohli-Kuntwara, went missing in the upper reaches while grazing livestock,” a police spokesperson said.
Photographs of their bodies later circulated on social media, and family members have confirmed their identities, the spokesperson added.
The offficials reported that Ahmad and Kumar had gone to graze cattle in the Munzla Dhar forest in Adhwari but did not return. Police teams spread out to locate them amid reports of their abduction and subsequent killing by terrorists.
“My brother and Nazir were abducted and killed by terrorists. They were village defence guards and had gone to graze cattle as usual,” Kumar”s brother Prithvi said.
He added that the family is in deep shock as Kumar”s killing follows their father Amar Chand’s death only a week ago.
The village learned of the killings when terrorists used the victims’ phones to share pictures of their execution, according to a local source who did not wished to be named.
Kashmir Tigers, an offshoot of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad, claimed responsibility for the killings, sharing images of the victims with blindfolded eyes.
Kishtwar, along with other districts in the Jammu region such as Rajouri, Poonch, Reasi, Udhampur, Doda, and Kathua, has seen a rise in terror attacks this year, attributed by security agencies to attempts by cross-border handlers to revive militancy in the otherwise peaceful region.
Meanwhile, people in various areas of Kishtwar on Friday took to the streets to protest against the killings.
The protesters demanded “immediate elimination” of the terrorists involved in the killings to restore confidence among the local population. Hundreds gathered in the Drabshalla area of the district, burning tyres and blocking roads.
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