SRINAGAR: Seven militants were killed in three separate encounters in border district of Kupwara in Jammu and Kashmir during last 24 hours.
An army official said on specific inputs, army and police’s Special Operations Group (SOG) personnel launched three separate operations against militants in Kupwara district yesterday.
He said the first operation was launched on intelligence inputs by army and police men in Dobwan forest area in Khurhama, Lolab in Kupwara district yesterday morning.
“During the operation, militants fired from automatic weapons on the troops. The fire was returned by the security personnel, triggering an encounter. In the ensuing firefight, which lasted for about six hours, three militants were killed,” the official said.
He said couple of hours later, police and army men launched a joint operation in Drugmulla area near Kupwara town after tip-off about presence of militants there.
The official said the gunfight broke out between militants and security forces during the operation. “In the gunfight, which lasted for over five hours, three heavily armed militants were killed”.
He said identity of the slain militants and the outfit to which they owe allegiance was being ascertained
The army official said another militant was killed in an encounter in Waderbala village of Handwara in Kupwara district this morning.
“With the killing of militant today, security forces have killed seven militants in gunfights in last 24 hours,” he said.
The official said they are ascertaining whether all seven militants killed had recently infiltrated from across the Line of Control (LoC).
He said large cache of arms and ammunition including seven AK rifles were recovered from the slain militants.
Sources said there have been many successful infiltration attempts by militants from across LoC this year. “The militants took advantage of less snowfall this winter and infiltrated during the winter months, when usually they don’t infiltrate”.
They said after intelligence agencies sounded alert that there have been many successful infiltration attempts, army has beefed up security along LoC and further strengthened the counter infiltration grid to prevent militants from sneaking into Kashmir.
“Besides, army is also conducting intelligence based operations against militants close to the LoC and hinterland,” sources said.
IED defused in Srinagar
Police today prevented a tragedy from taking place by detecting and defusing an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted near a fly-over in Hyderpora area in Srinagar.
A police official said a 5 kgs IED planted in a rice cooker was detected by police party near a flyover at Hyderpora in Srinagar in the wee hours today.
He said the experts of bomb disposal squad were rushed to the spot and they neutralised the IED.