Another encounter breaks out; militant killed, jawan injured
Most of intrusion bids foiled, some may have managed to sneak in
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Sept 12: In another indication of revival of militancy in the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri, security forces today intercepted a group of militants at village Dorimal in Gambhir Mugalan area of Rajouri district, located at some distance from the Line of Control (LoC), in which one militant was reported to have been killed while an Army soldier was injured.
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This was the fifth major encounter in Rajouri district in which seven militants have been killed while three Army soldiers were martyred and two others injured.
In Rajouri’s neighbouring Poonch district, five militants have been killed on the LoC while trying to infiltrate and hawala money running into several lakhs and sticky bombs were recovered for the first time there last month.
“All this indicates that the militants especially those belonging to Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), Hizbul Mujahideen and some smaller outfits which are mostly offshoots of LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) are trying to revive militancy in Rajouri and Poonch districts. And August 13 attack on the house of BJP leader in heart of Rajouri town in which his two-year-old nephew was killed and seven family members were injured, was another indication of return of the militancy,” sources pointed out.
They said security forces intercepted a group of militants at Dorimal in Gambhir Mugalan area in Rajouri district this morning. There was exchange of firing between the two sides—first in the morning and second time in the evening. There were unconfirmed reports that one militant has been killed in the gun battle and an Army soldier was injured. The operation will resume tomorrow.
Reports had been pouring in about presence of militants in Gambhir Mugalan on the basis of which Army and police launched joint search operation.
Area is in the interiors of Manjakote, away from the LoC but not very far away. Therefore, the chances of infiltration can’t be ruled out. Otherwise also, there have been reports of presence of militants in Poonch and Rajouri districts and it can be one of those groups who were already operating there.
Spurt in militant activities in Rajouri and Poonch districts can be well gauged from the figures that on July 9, two militants were killed and two soldiers were martyred in Sunderbani. Another militant of the same group was founded dead later. A day before i.e. on July 8, one militant was killed and two soldiers were injured in Nowshera sector. On August 6, two militants were killed in Thannamandi while on August 19, another militant was shot dead in the same area while an Army soldier was martyred. On August 13, the militants lobbed grenade on the house of BJP Mandal president Jasbir Singh in the heart of Rajouri town in which his two-year-old nephew was killed and seven others including Singh himself were injured. The militants remained untraced.
It was not only the Rajouri district which has witnessed spurt in encounters and other incidents but the neighbouring Poonch district has also been reporting infiltration attempts on the LoC, most of which have been foiled resulting into killing of five militants in past couple of months. However, the possibility that some militants might have sneaked in during the intrusion bids can’t be ruled out.
On August 10 last month, police had recovered Rs 25.81 lakh worth hawala money, the highest such haul, in Poonch while on August 13, four sticky bombs were seized for the first time in the border district.
“It was not only Rajouri and Poonch but the militant outfits are also planning to step-up their activities in Kishtwar, Doda and Ramban districts,” sources said but added that Jammu Police was fully alive to the situation and along with Army and CRPF was conducting specific operation to neutralize or apprehend the militants.
Ahead of August 15, three fresh recruits of Hizbul Mujahideen were arrested in Kishtwar while several consignments of arms and ammunition have been recovered in Kishtwar and Doda districts.
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