Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 21: Top commander of Hizbul Mujahideen was among two militants trapped in a South Kashmir’s Kulgam district village after security forces launched operation against the militants tonight.
Deputy Inspector General of Police, South Kashmir range, Nitish Kumar, told Excelsior that on a tip off to Superintendent of Police Kulgam about presence of two militants including Hizbul Mujahideen district commander, Altaf Kachroo, in Redwani Bala village, the Special Operations Group of Kulgam Police, 1-RR of Army and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) launched a search operation in the village against the militants.
The militants hiding in the village opened fire on troops and took shelter in the house of Zahoor Ahmad Dar. Police and Army fired back leading to a gun battle.
The reinforcements were immediately brought in and adjacent villages of Redwani Payeen, Hawoora and Mishipora were also cordoned off to prevent militants from fleeing the cordon.
The residents of adjacent villages including Khudwani rushed to the Mukhdoom Mohalla and pelted stones at the troops to divert their attention from the operation and facilitate fleeing of the holed up militants. Police fired tear smoke shells to disperse them.
In North Kashmir on the Line of Control (LoC), Army operation against a group of infiltrators in Macchil sector is going on and so far two dead bodies of militants have been recovered.
The Army spotted 4-5 militants who were trying to cross the fence near the LoC in Jalandari post area near Sardari Nar in Macchil sector during the previous night.
The group was challenged by the Army leading to a gun battle and so far the Army has recovered two dead bodies of the militants while the search operation to track the other members of the group are going on.
The group was noticed near the fence and when they were trying to cross it, Army challenged them and killing one of them near the fence and others managed to flee from the spot.
Army cordoned off the area and killed one more militant last evening in gun battle while they say that third militant was also killed but so far his body has not been recovered.
Army recovered arms and ammunition and other warlike stores from the encounter site.
Army later brought reinforcements to the area and a search operation was intensified to track down other members of the infiltrating group.
Since this is a dense forest area, troops are making sure that these militants are not hiding under the dense foliage.
An Army officer said that they don’t rule out the rest of the members of the group fleeing back to Pakistan under the cover of darkness and dense foliage but they want to make it sure before calling off the operation.
Yesterday’s infiltration bid is fifth attempt by the militants along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara sector this year in which 11 militants and 2 Army personnel were killed and one Army officer was injured. These infiltration bids have been foiled in Tanghdar, Keran and Macchil sectors of Kupwara.
Last year Army killed 59 militants along the LoC which is highest so far in past over a decade.
Army says that as per inputs this year militants are making maximum efforts to infiltrate. It says 200 militants are waiting on the launch pads along the LoC to cross into Kashmir valley. However, Army is alert and there is a strong counter-infiltration grid in place.
The Army has also intensified patrols in the forest areas along the LoC to track on any militants who might have succeeded in infiltration.
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