Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 17: Army and police today recovered large quantity of arms, ammunition and explosive from a hideout of Hizbul Mujahideen militants at Chandali forests in Kishtwar and foiled plan by the ultras to carry out terror strikes in the sensitive district.
“Recoveries have dealt a crippling blow to Hizbul Mujahideen outfit, which was trying to revive itself in Kishtwar district,’’ official sources said.
They said a joint team of Kishtwar based troops of Delta Force and Kishtwar police carried out joint search operation in Chandali forests and busted a hideout used by the militants in past. They recovered large quantity of weaponry from the hideout, which reportedly belonged to Hizbul Mujahideen outfit.
Recoveries included one AK-47 rifle, one AK-56 rifle, two pistols, , one USA made radio set, two Under Barrel Grenade launchers (UBGLs), two batteries, two printers, nine hand grenades, seven UBGL grenades, six AK magazines, two pistol magazines, 315 AK rounds, 12 pistol rounds and one bipole antenna.
“This is a major milestone achieved by the troops of Delta Force and Kishtwar Police and is a serious setback to anti-national elements. This will certainly prove detrimental to revival of militancy in Kishtwar district,’’ sources said.
Though there was no official word on the militant outfit to whom the consignment belonged, sources said the area was once stronghold of the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit and there were reports that the consignment belonged to that outfit. The Hizbul Mujahideen was presently lying virtually defunct in the Kishtwar district though it has couple of active militants, who were not only lying low but had fled to mountainous areas of Kishtwar.
However, sources said, the consignment of arms, ammunition and explosives had the potential of causing large scale devastation and destruction if it had fallen into hands of the militants.
Police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) in connection with the recoveries at Kishtwar police station under Sections 120, 120-B, 153-A RPC, 7/25 Arms Act, 4/5 Egress Act and 3 Enemy Agent Ordinance and started further investigations into the case.
However, no arrests have been made in connection with the recoveries, sources said, adding that Army and police conducted searches in the area but there was no presence of the militants.
Sources pointed out that Chandali forests in Kishtwar district had remained highly militancy infested in the past.
Police team in the operation was led by ASO Mohammad Qasim of Police Component, Kishtwar under the supervision of DIG Doda-Ramban range Nissar Ahmad and SSP Kishtwar Yougal Manhas.
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