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| Foreign ultras mushrooming in Jammu? | | | Jammu | Sep 7, :-Larger presence of foreign militants in hilly Doda and border districts of Rajouri and Pooch is bothering security forces deployed in counter insurgency operations. As per rough estimates the number of foreign mercenaries in the districts of Doda, Poonch and Rajouri has increased during the last one year. According to the police, the number of foreign mercenaries had once touched below 30 mark between 2004-2005 in Doda region but the latest reports indicated that their number has now gone upto over 80. Similarly, presence of foreign mercenaries in the border districts of Rajouri and Pooch is also increasing in the recent months.
According to official sources the total number of local militants in Doda region has come down to about 360 after the security forces succeeded in eliminating a large number of the local gun wielding youths and forcing over two dozen militants belonging to Hizbul Mujahideen and HUJI to surrender.
A senior police officer in the region said that after several areas in the hilly district were sanitized against militants belonging to Hizbul Mujahideen rebels belonging Lashkar-i-Toiba have started carving out their bases in these areas. He said large number of women were acting as helpers to the militants by carrying weapons and messages from one place to the other and for providing shelter to them. In reply to a question he said that these women had joined militant groups willingly.
Unofficial reports said that in Doda region alone there were over 80 overground workers who have been found providing support to militants but no action was taken against them because some of them had links with mainstream political leaders. In Rajouri and Poonch districts their number could fall anywhere around 100,the official sources said.
In Poonch and Rajouri belts foreign mercenaries and local militants continue to stay put in dhoks in the hilly belts.The security forces have not so far carried out any major operations because of certain logistic disadvantages.A senior police officer said that “since security forces cannot carry ration and other weapons for more than one week their operations against the militants have not borne fruit in the past because the rebels,on seeing the security personnel scaling the heights keep on moving from one dhok to the other.”
The recovery of high quantities of arms and ammunition from a militant hideout in Saujia in Poonch,which included five kgs of RDX,seven Rocket projectile guns(RPG),11 RPG boosters,760 rounds of Pika guns,three AGL.one box of AK rounds,eatables and medicines,indicated that militants continued to fortify their positions for indulging in subversion and sabotage.Reports said that the militant concentration had been spotted in Mendhar and Surankot.Owing to difficult terrain and thick forest cover security forces have been directed to avoid taking any risk and instead adopt a strategy which could tire them(militants)out and starve forcing them to cross back to Pakistan.
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