Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, May 8: Army operation against a group of heavily armed militants believed to be recently infiltrated from the Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) through snow covered mountains in North Kashmir’s Kupwara district continued for second day today.
Sources said that Army recovered 4 haversacks from the Budnal forests that contained dry fruits, roasted chicken, first aid and snow cutters. “From the recovered food stuff, first aid and snow cutters it looks that the group has infiltrated from PoK recently by taking advantage of snow covered mountain passes”, they added.
Sources said that the group comprising around 7-8 heavily armed militants who are hiding in the dense Budnal forests of Kupwara district near the LoC after operation was launched against them.
It may be mentioned here that Army launched a massive operation near the LoC in Budnal forests of North Kashmir’s Kupwara district yesterday after reports of movement of militants in the forests.
The operation was launched by 68 Brigade of Army and it involved large number of troops from 6-Rashtriya Rifles (RR), 12-Garhwal, 16 Grenadiers and 6/11 Grenadiers of Army.
Helicopters were pressed also into service to track the movement of the militants. Sources said that the helicopters also dropped troops at various locations to plug all the escape routes in the cordoned area where the militants are believed to bet trapped.
Sources said that today Army’s elite para-troopers also joined the operation against these infiltrated militants. However, continuous rains in the area are hampering the operation.
SSP Kupwara, Irshad Ahmad told reporters that search operation is going on and Kupwara police is also part of the operation that is going on in the Budnal forests.
Top Army commanders in Kashmir recently said that around 800 highly trained militants are waiting across the LoC in PoK to infiltrate into Kashmir valley ahead of summer.
After inputs that militants may advance infiltration this year ahead of summer, Army along the LoC started repairing the damaged LoC fence as a pre-emptive measure but this group has used snow covered mountains to infiltrate.
The General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Baramulla based 19 Division of the Army, Major General V G Khandare told Excelsior last month that Army engineers started repairing the LoC fence in the first week of April ahead of schedule.
The security agencies apprehended increased infiltration this year after number of militants in Kashmir valley declined following successful operations by the security forces over the last couple of years.
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