Terror groups are being reactivated for orchestrating attacks and targeting civilians and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, say top officials
Our Bureau
Srinagar
The two Army personnel lost their lives in a counter-terrorist operation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch on Friday. According to Defence Ministry statement Jammu, two Indian Army personnel were critically injured in the operation that has been underway since Thursday in the Nar Khas Forest area of Poonch’s Mendhar and later succumbed to their injuries. During the operation, there was heavy exchange of fire and in the ensuing gunfight Rifleman Vikram Singh Negi and Rifleman Yogambar Singh were critically injured and later succumbed to their injuries,” the statement said.
Earlier, five terrorists linked with proscribed terror outfit LeT (TRF) have been killed in anti-terrorist operations at Tulran and Feeripora villages in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday. “Based on specific inputs about the presence of terrorists in twin villages of Shopian; Tulran and Feeripora two anti-terrorist operations were carried out resulting in the elimination of five terrorists. The killed terrorists include terrorist Mukhtar Shah, who was involved in the targeted killing of a non-local vendor at Lal Bazar area of Srinagar,” The official statement said. The police launched a joint cordon and search operations in the said areas.
During the search operation at Tulran, as the presence of terrorists got ascertained, they were given repeated opportunities to surrender; instead, they fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party which was retaliated leading to an encounter, informed the Police.
As per police records, the killed terrorists were linked with proscribed terror outfit LeT (TRF) and remained part of groups involved in several terror crime cases including attacks on security establishments and civilian atrocities.
Meanwhile, the search operation at Feeripora Shopian also remained suspended throughout the night and resumed in the wee hours. At about 1000hrs, contact was established with the hiding terrorists and they were given ample opportunities to surrender.
After the Taliban took over control of Afghanistan, terrorist outfits including Lashkar-e-Taiba are concentrating in Kashmir, said defense expert Major General (retd) Dipankar Banerjee on Tuesday. In a veiled reference to Pakistan, he said terror groups are being reactivated for orchestrating attacks and targeting civilians and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir. Banerjee said, “This is a new phase of insurgency and terrorism in Kashmir. With the fall of Afghanistan, they (terrorists are targeting Jammu and Kashmir) will concentrate in Kashmir. There have been terrorist cells operating in the Valley even during the peaceful times and slowly will be reactivated and armed. It will be provided across the Line of Control (LoC), they will target civilians and then security forces. We need to take care in this context.”
“Pakistan has been badly cornered in recent years. It is coming under intense pressure and diverting the pressure, it is expected to accelerate activities in India. There are potential terror cells, good detective work by civil police is that should be able to nab them. Sensitive areas need to be kept in increased surveillance,” he added.
Lt Gen DP Pandey, General Officer Commanding, Chinar Corps said that the operations against terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir is a standard process based on intelligence. “Operations in Srinagar that have been going on for last few days is a standard process based on intelligence. So, I would not like to connect it to any events before or after in view of operations happening for the last few days in Kashmir,” said Lt Gen DP Pandey.
Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Vijay Kumar said, “In recent days, seven civilians were killed by terrorists. We have launched an aggressive operation against the terrorists following which one each was killed in Srinagar and Anantnag. One was killed and five were arrested from Bandipur. Yesterday we launched an operation at two places in Shopian in which three were killed and two terrorists are trapped in the Feeripora area of Shopian. We will continue the operation.”
Meanwhile, Delhi Police Special Cell on Monday arrested a Pakistani national who was a part of ISI terror module. Special Cell Deputy Commissioner of Police Pramod Kushwaha said that the arrested person namely Mohd Asraf has been residing in India for more than a decade using several fake Indian identities.
During his address in the G20 Extraordinary Summit on Afghanistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday conveyed support for the important role of the United Nations in Afghanistan and called for renewed support of the G20 for the message contained in UN Security Council Resolution 2593 on Afghanistan.
