Hunt for terrorists hiding in forests
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 28: Multiple search operations continued in upper reaches of Kishtwar, Doda, Kathua and Udhampur besides some other districts to track down the hiding terrorists.
“There has been no let up in search operations even after peaceful celebrations of the Republic Day,” the officials said.
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The operations are being jointly carried out by Army, paramilitary forces, police and Special Operations Group (SOG) and cover the mountainous areas of different districts, some of which are connected through forests.
The operations are being conducted based on specific inputs being developed by security agencies with the help of Village Defence Guards (VDGs) and local people about movement of the terrorists from one forest to another.
As per the officials, the terrorists keep moving from one area to another after observing movement of security forces. There have been reports that some Over Ground Workers (OGWs) might have been helping the terrorists not only in arranging food and hideouts for them but also guiding them in the routes which connect some of the districts through forests.
“More than a dozen search operations are being carried out every day,” the officials said, adding senior officers of all security agencies are regularly monitoring the operations.
Security agencies believed that the terrorists have come down from some of the mountains because of recent snowfall and chilly weather conditions, which was also witnessed in Billawar where one of the dreaded commanders of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), a Pakistani national, was eliminated last week in a swift operation.
Meanwhile, a rusted mortar shell was recovered from a village near the Line of Control (LoC) and was diffused in a controlled explosion in Poonch district today, officials said.
The mortar shell from Pakistan had landed in the village during Operation Sindoor in May last year, they said.
Some villagers noticed the shell and informed the local Army unit and police, the officials said, adding a Bomb Disposal Squad was rushed in, and the mortar was destroyed.
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