Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, May 11: An Army jawan slipped to death in Handwara area of North Kashmir’s Kupwara district during a gun battle with militants as massive searches continued for second day against a militant group that was intercepted by security forces yesterday.
The Army man, Om Veer Singh of 21-Rashtriya Rifles (RR), fell from a ridge in Rajwar forests after a brief exchange of gunfire with militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) last night.
Sources said that as the Army and Police launched searches at Bawan Watsar area of Rajwar forests in Handwara last night, militants fired upon them. They said that the since militants were wearing the night vision devices, they spotted the Army party and fired at them leading to a fierce gun battle. He said that the gun battle last for 20 minutes but militants managed to escape under the cover of darkness and firing.
A top security official said that more troops belonging to 30 RR and 6 RR were rushed to the spot and more area was cordoned off last night to prevent militants from fleeing the forest area. The searches were again started this morning and were continuing till last reports came in.
A top security official said that they spotted six members of a 10 member Lashkar-e-Toiba militant group against whom they had launched searches two weeks ago after they received information about their presence in the forest area.
Army launched a massive operation in North Kashmir’s Kupwara forests against this group after reports that 10 militants infiltrated into the forest area from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) last month.
These militants infiltrated into the forests of Budnambal during the intervening night of April 18 and 19 from PoK. Army’s 19-Maratha initially launched operation against them. However, after they failed to trace out the group, another operation was launched by Army’s 28-RR, 18-RR and Special Operations Group (SOG) of Police, Kupwara, in Patushai, Kantpora and Shumbreyal forest areas.
Army had already inputs that the militants may try to sneak into Kashmir in large numbers this year into Kashmir and they have intensified patrolling along the LoC.
In the meantime, driver of a police officer was injured in a grenade attack in Anantnag town of South Kashmir today.
The grenade lobbed at old SP office building in Anantnag exploded on the premises, resulting in injuries to SP Vigilance’s driver. Three vehicles were damaged in the blast.
Soon after the attack, security forces cordoned the area to find the attacker, but no arrests were made. This is the second grenade attack in Anantnag town during last two weeks. On April 28, a grenade was thrown at a Sher- Bagh Police Post. There was, however, no injury in the blast.
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