Militants untraced after brief shootout
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 6: Security forces today launched search operation at village Khablan in Thannamandi area of Rajouri district after detecting movement of two suspected militants in the area.
At about 9.30 am today, Army and Police teams cordoned off village Khablan and surrounding areas and launched searches for the militants.
Troops also opened firing in particular direction for few minutes but reportedly there was no cross-firing, the officials said.
Authorities also closed main road connecting Rajouri to Thannamandi briefly for traffic soon after the search operations as it was close to the forests. Traffic was restored later as no contact with the militants was established.
Army and Police personnel remained deployed in strength in Khablan and surrounding areas of Thannamandi. Search operations also continued.
There have been reports that two to three groups of militants could be active in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch after their infiltration earlier from the Line of Control (LoC).
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Forest areas of Thannamandi, Chamrer in Surankote and Bhatta Durrian in Mendhar in Rajouri and Poonch districts are connected with each other and the officials didn’t rule out movement of the militants from one area to another to target security forces besides in search of food.
Meanwhile, search operations for the militants in Bhatta Durrian forests of Mendhar tehsil in Poonch district today entered into 27th day but without any success.
Troops have cleared major parts of the forests.
It, however, couldn’t be ascertained whether the militants were still hiding in the same forests or have shifted their hideouts.
During searches, troops have detected number of naturally made cave-like hideouts in Bhatta Durrian forests which had been used by the militants for hiding.
Nine soldiers, including two Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs), were martyred in two separate encounters with the militants on the first day of the search operation in Surankote forest on October 11 and in Mendhar forest on October 14. Since then, there has been no direct contact between militants and security forces.
A Pakistani terrorist, Zia Mustafa, who was shifted from Kot Bhalwal Central Jail, Jammu to Mendhar on police remand for questioning in connection with the operation, was killed when the security personnel accompanying him to identify a hideout in the Bhatta Durrian forest in Mendhar came under fire from the hiding terrorists on October 24.
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