NEW DELHI: In the midst of the Armed Forces’ biggest ever relief and rescue operation in Jammu and Kashmir, the Army has gunned down about 14 hardcore militants and arrested six in multiple operations in the Valley.
Army officials said it was while carrying out the mammoth relief and rescue operation in the state along with the NDRF, that three terrorists were slain in an encounter at Hanjan Bala near Shopian on September 2. Four more terrorists were killed by the Army at Laribal near Rajwar and Pharkian on September 9 and 10.
In multiple operations two ultras were killed at Machhal in North Kashmir on September 17 and four more were killed on September 19 in the Tangdhar sector. One more terrorist was gunned down at Lolab on September 30 in an encounter with the security agencies.
The Army also claimed that it had apprehended six terrorists in September with the help of Special Operations Group and the state police. These include a member of LeT, who was arrested at Muqam on September 17, four Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists, who were apprehended from Sopore on September 22 and 23, and one Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist, who was arrested at Kirpalpura on September 25.
According to the inputs from the Military Intelligence, there are about 200 militants waiting to sneak into the Valley from the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
According to the Army, September and October have always seen maximum number of infiltration attempts from across the border, as parts of the Valley get cut off due to heavy snow.
Last month, the state was hit by the worst-ever floods in 50 years, which wreaked havoc in several districts and left up to 280 people dead. More than 80,000 people were rescued in rescue operations.