JAMMU: Two terrorists affiliated with Maulana Masood Azhar’s Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) were gunned down in a late-night operation by security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur district on Wednesday/Thursday. The identities of the terrorists, who were believed to be Pakistani nationals, are being ascertained.
The security forces had launched a major cordon and search operation in the Sohan area following inputs regarding the suspicious movement of individuals in the region. Some forest areas of the hills are such that the borders of Kathua, Udhampur and Doda district form a sort of trijunction, with the terrorists using these spaces to exist from one district to another.
These areas are used for rest and recuperation as there is very thinly spread population. The presence of security forces is also thin and jurisdictional issues can arise. However, close coordination and intelligence sharing sometimes lead to operations like these which was jointly carried out by elements of the Army, and the police. One very critical element of such operations is the men drawn from Special Forces (SF).
After the cordon and search operation was launched, an encounter ensured between the security forces and the terrorists leading to an exchange of gunfire.
In the early morning hours, security forces found the bodies of the terrorists believed to be foreigners and most likely from the JeM. Arms and ammunition were seized from the encounter site later.
The latest gunfight in Udhampur came after a Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorist was killed in central Kashmir’s Budgam district on September 5. The terrorist, identified as Yasir, was part of the larger Sulaiman Musa group of LeT. However, he had split from the group nearly a year ago and had since been operating separately, according to sources. Security agencies had been tracking Yasir’s movements and were monitoring his activities in Budgam’s Yousmarg area for a brief period.
Senior police and Army officers, including DGP Nalin Prabhat, Jammu IGP Tejinder Singh and commanders have been visiting far flung areas to review the situation on ground. Their emphasis has been on strengthening the security grid, intelligence sharing and operations to neutralise the terrorists still active in some areas. However, these things are easier said than done and lots of efforts are needed.
As part of these continuing operations against terrorists and their supporters, the police in Rajouri district arrested three persons for their alleged involvement in an Over Ground Worker (OGW) network linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) a couple of days ago, according to officials.
The arrests were made during an investigation into a suspected terror module operating in the Pir Panjal region, the police said. The accused have been identified as Zakir Hussain, son of Ghulam Hussain, of Kotcharwal Teryath, Rajouri; Mohd Azam, son of Ali Bahadur, of Kotcharwal Teryath; and Mohd Mushtaq, son of Mohd Iqbal, of Udhan, Rajouri.
According to the police, preliminary investigation indicates that the trio allegedly provided logistical assistance, safe passage and other ground-level support to militants.
Investigators have also found that the accused allegedly worked as guides and helped militant groups move towards the Kashmir Valley. Police said they also allegedly provided ground support in several high-profile attacks, including an attack targeting civilians.
An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was recovered following the disclosure of one of the accused during the investigation, the police added.
Preliminary findings suggest that members of a terrorist group had allegedly handed over the device to the accused for safe custody and its potential use in a targeted attack. The police said that the investigation remains in progress to uncover the wider network, identify other associates and determine the full extent of the accused persons’ alleged involvement.
