Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, May 7: Locals have urged the Government to order deployment of Army in Latti, Dudu and Basantgarh area of District Udhampur and completion of Kirchi Seoj Dhar PMGSY road for strengthening security grid to prevent revival of terrorism in the area.
Hans Raj Thakur, president of Kailash Kund Yatra Management Committee Dudu Udhampur, has submitted a memorandum in this regard to Union Minister for Defence, Rajnath Singh, Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, who represents Udhampur Parliamentary constituency.
A Village Defence Guard member was martyred on April 28, 2024 when a group of VDGs was attacked by terrorists in Chochru Galla Hills of Basantgarh. During the same time, another group of terrorists was spotted in the upper reaches of Kothi area of Basantgarh. IED, RDX and ammunition were recovered by Police from Khandara Top hill of Basantgarh area during the month of December 2022. In September 2022, twin blasts occurred in two buses of Basantgarh route for which a surrendered militant of the area was arrested.
In the memorandum, Hans Raj has explained that Basantgarh-Dudu-Seoj Dhar route is used as an infiltration route by terrorists to cross to Doda District and Kashmir valley while the forests of Latti, Dudu and Basantgarh are used as hide outs by terrorists.
“Currently security forces require 10-12 hours to move to Seoj Dhar from Dudu as Kirchi- Seoj Dhar PMGSY road is yet to be constructed beyond KM 5 in view of pending Forest and Wildlife clearance though the actual forest is beyond KM 16,” reads the memorandum.
During the peak of terrorism, Latti, Dudu and Basantgarh area had witnessed civilian killings by terrorists at various places including Jakhed, Dudu, Pachound and Basantgarh. This includes the bone chilling killing of 13 civilians at Basantgarh in the year 2006. During the 1990s and 2000s, many families had also migrated from the area solely due to security reasons. There had been some local militants from the area as well, especially from Khanned.
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