Troops to target caves, forests to hunt down terrorists
Top Comdrs brief Gen Pande on operations
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Dec 25: Army chief Gen Manoj Pande today visited Poonch district including the site of December 21 terror attack at Dera Ki Gali in Surankote where four Army bravehearts sacrificed their lives and next day three civilians were found dead under mysterious circumstances.
Gen Pande interacted with top Army Commanders at Poonch amid reports that direction have gone to intensify operations targeting natural cave, forests, mountains and other vulnerable areas to finish off the terrorists hiding in the border districts of Poonch and Rajouri even as operations at the site of encounter besides some other places are already on.
The Army chief, as per the officials, visited ground zero in Surankote area of Poonch for on spot assessment of the situation including anti-militancy operations and killing of three civilians under mysterious circumstances. He was briefed by the Commanders about the situation.
General Pande exhorted Commanders to conduct operations in the “most professional manner” and also asked the troops to remain resolute and steadfast against all challenges.
“General Manoj Pande #COAS visited #Poonch sector and was given an update on the prevalent security situation. #COAS interacted with Commanders on ground, exhorted them to conduct the operations in the most professional manner and remain resolute & steadfast against all challenges,” the Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADGPI) of the Indian Army posted on X.
Northern Command chief Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi and Nagrota Corps GOC Lt Gen Sandeep Jain accompanied the Army chief. Both of them along with senior civil and police officers are camping in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch to supervise the anti-terrorist operations and maintain law and order.
The Army chief reached Jammu in the afternoon and immediately left for Rajouri-Poonch sector to review the operational preparedness and the prevailing security situation.
Gen Pande visited Dera Ki Gali and reviewed the anti-terrorist operation going on in Surankote and nearby Rajouri district’s Thannamandi forest belt for the last five days to neutralise the terrorists behind the dastardly attack on December 21.
The Army chief later flew to the 25 Infantry Division headquarters in Rajouri and was briefed by the Commanders on the ground about the overall security situation.
As per the officials, the Army with the help of paramilitary forces and police will step up operations against the terrorists in Rajouri and Poonch districts to eliminate or capture them. Security forces are likely to target natural caves, mountains, forests and other vulnerable areas during the operations where the terrorists might be hiding.
However, there were reports that the terrorists anticipating pressure by security forces on them after the terror attacks might try to shift towards South Kashmir through Pir Panjal mountains.
There have been reports that there could be nearly 30 terrorists hiding in the two border districts. Most of them are believed to be Pakistanis though they might be assisted by some Kashmiri terrorists also to identify locations during movement. Local support for shelter and food is also under investigation, the officials said.
Meanwhile, the mobile internet services remained suspended in both Poonch and Rajouri districts for the third day today as a precautionary measure to check rumour-mongering and prevent miscreants from creating any law and order problem, the officials said.
The services were suspended early Saturday following the killing of the three civilians.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Saturday announced compensation and jobs to the families of the dead civilians and said the medico-legal formalities were conducted and legal action in this matter has been initiated by the appropriate authority.
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