Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 13: Army and police today recovered large quantity of explosives and ammunition in Billawar area of Kathua and Nowshera in Rajouri district and thwarted the plots hatched by the militants to revive dying militancy by carrying out the terror strikes.
Official sources said Army’s Rising Start Corps Intelligence Unit and police conducted a search operation at village Jutha in Billawar tehsil of Kathua district and recovered large quantity of explosive material, which was capable of making several Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
Recoveries included locally made explosives, glass sharpnels, pencil batteries, gelatin sticks, primer cords and detonators.
“All this material can be used in making lethal IEDs,” sources said, adding that further investigation in the recovery were on.
Army and police conducted searches in the area but no arrests were made from the spot. This is after a long time that such a large quantity of explosive material has been recovered from Billawar area of Kathua district.
Police have also started investigations to ascertain nature of the explosive material and its source. Police officers visited the spot for investigations. Some local people were questioned but they feigned ignorance about the recoveries.
In another search operation, a joint team of Uniform Force and police busted another hideout of the militants in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district today. The hideout was busted after day long joint operation conducted by Army and police.
Recoveries included two IEDs-one weighing 4.5 kg and another 3.5 kg, one fuse, two AK magazines in rusted condition, one hand grenade, 52 cartridges of 7.62mm, two mobile battery chargers, one cordless phone battery, one mobile phone battery, six Duracell pencil cells, one radio set antenna, one Pathani suit and one pouch.
Army and police have launched search operation in the area. However, no arrests had been made from the spot till the reports last came in.
Sources said the consignment of explosive material might have been dumped by the militants earlier to pick it up at an opportune time. However, they failed to do so and consignment was today seized by Army and police.
They added that the Army and police continued searches in the area looking for more recoveries.
According to sources, recovery of two consignments of explosives and ammunition in a day by Army and police would go a long way in thwarting the militants’ designs to revive militancy in Kathua and Rajouri districts. While Kathua district is free of militancy, very few militants were still active in the border district of Rajouri but they were lying low for the fear of being eliminated.
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