Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Nov 20: Chief of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), Qari Yasir, along with several top leadership of the outfit have been trapped by Army and police in North Kashmir’s Lolab forests in the frontier district of Kupwara.
Highly placed sources said that JeM Chief for Kashmir valley along with 7-8 JeM militants including their top leadership was trapped in the operation that was launched by the Army and police on Friday in Devar and Dardpora forests of Lolab area of Kupwara district.
Since top JeM leadership has been trapped in the forests, security forces are maintaining tight vigil of the huge forest area and have extended the operation to more forest area so as not to allow the trapped group to flee from the cordon.
The General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Sharifabad, Srinagar-based counter insurgency Kilo Force, Major General Sarth Chand, told Excelsior on the side lines of an Army function at Handwara this afternoon that the group that has been trapped belonged to the JeM. He said that they are not sure about the identity of the trapped militants. “We are cautious and don’t want any collateral damage as there is lot of civilian movement in the forest area”, he added.
Army and police today detained six people from the Dever forests where the operation is going on since Friday. Four of them had proper identity cards while two of them were without any identity cards. However, all of them were later let off after questioning.
SP Kupwara, Irshad Ahmad, told Excelsior that they didn’t have any confirmation about the presence of Jaish Chief, Qari Yasir, among the trapped militants yet. However, he informed that the group belongs to the JeM.
The SP said that the two militants of the group who were critically injured on Sunday night during the operation were brought to Devar village by their colleagues for treatment but it is not yet clear whether they have shifted back to the forests or to somewhere else. He said that police are working on the leads about the whereabouts of the two injured JeM militants.
The Special Operations Group of Jammu and Kashmir Police, Kupwara, 28 and 18 Rashtriya Rifles of Army are involved in the operation that entered into fifth day today. The operation was launched on Friday after police and Army received information about the presence of the heavily armed JeM militants in Dever forests of Lolab. The security forces established first contact with the militants on Sunday night during which two militants were critically injured.
Qari Yasir, who is believed to be trapped in Army and police cordon in the forests is Chief of the JeM since March 2011 when police killed former JeM Chief, Sajjad Afghani, in Srinagar’s foreshore area of Dal lake last year along with his associate. Qari, a Pakistani militant, has been operating in Kashmir valley for over past 5 years.
Sources said that since JeM has not been active for past few years, they are now consolidating their cadres in Kashmir valley. “This year a sizeable number of militants of the outfit have infiltrated into Kashmir valley but majority of them are in the Kupwara forests”, they added.
Meanwhile, operation against recently infiltrated militants in Nowgam sector of Kupwara district entered 7th day today.
The General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Baramulla based 19 Division of the Army Major General Bipin Rawat told Excelsior that the cordon and search operation is still on. “The militants are hiding in the forests and are carrying some ration but the area where they are hiding has sub-zero temperature these days and we will not let them go anywhere”, he added.
Army has killed two of the 5 militants who infiltrated through Nowgam sector of Kupwara last week and has launched operation against rest of the 3. Three Army personnel were also killed and two injured in the operation when it was launched against these infiltrated militants on last Wednesday.
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