Three simultaneous anti-terror operations continue in Jammu & Kashmir

Srinagar: Three counter-insurgency operations have been going on simultaneously at three places across Jammu and Kashmir over the past three days while the police said it has arrested nine alleged militant associates in Kathua district. The operations are active in Kishtwar and Udhampur areas of Jammu and Kokernag area of Anantnag in Kashmir Valley.

Two encounters started in the wee hours of Sunday in Kishtwar and Udhampur, where police said that the contact was established with the infiltrators leading to the intermittent exchange of fire. The annual Machail Yatra, going on in Kishtwar area from July 25, was briefly stopped but resumed after fresh reinforcements were rushed to the area. The joint teams of Army, paramilitary and police are continuing the search operations in the area.

The armed forces also had a brief exchange of fire with the infiltrators in the forest area of Basantgarh in Udhampur on Sunday evening. This was the second exchange of fire with the infiltrators in the same area. "A group of infiltrators was spotted in the area and we are hopeful that they have not escaped our cordon area yet," said a police official. Search operations in the area continued till Monday evening.

The counter-insurgency operation in Ahlan Gagarmandu forest area of Kokernag in Anantnag district started on Saturday in which two Army men - Havildar Dipak Kumar Yadav and Lance Naik Praveen Sharma - and one civilian were killed while four other Army men and a civilian were injured.

"The infiltrators have crossed over from Doda and Kishtwar areas of Jammu into the Anantnag district of Kashmir. We have received inputs from some other groups also who have crossed over into the Kashmir Valley," said an official. Another official said that forces have been sent to several heights in the Pir Panjal range to monitor the routes entering into the Valley from Poonch-Rajouri and Doda-Kishtwar areas of Jammu.

Meanwhile, police said that nine militant associates have been arrested by police in Kathua, allegedly connected with the killing of four Army men and other attacks in the Kathua-Bani-Kishtwar belt of Jammu in the months of June and July.

As per the officials, out of the 70-80 foreign infiltrators active across J&K, 55-60 are active in the Jammu region and operating in small groups. The majority of infiltrators are currently active in Poonch-Rajouri, Kishtwar-Doda, Kathua and Udhampur districts of Jammu division. Some of the groups have crossed over to the Kashmir Valley.