 Early Times Report
KUPWARA, June 11: The militants killed in Keran sector of this north Kashmir district were armed with modern weaponry and equipment, the army said on Monday. Meanwhile a massive operation has been launched by army in Panar forests of Bandipora district where a group of militants is believed to be hiding.
Addressing a press conference, 268 Infantry Brigadier VS Chowhan claimed that many militants were waiting on launching pads to infiltrate into this side of Kashmir.
"As you already know, that an anti-militancy operation was going on from the last one month in Tangdhar and Keran sector in which dozens of militants have been eliminated," Army commander said.
"We had credible intelligence inputs that there is likely to be an infiltration in the sector because of which we had placed number of interception groups to trap these militants," he added.
On the intervening night of June 9-10, the officer said these militants walked into this side where the ambush was placed and they were challenged. "The militants opened a heavy volume of fire and the militants were engaged by the troops at that point of time," he said.
"The infiltrators tried to break the cordon and the vigilant troops and the commanders on the ground did not permit them to do so", VS Chouhan said.
He also claimed recovery of huge quantity of arms, ammunition, food items and other equipment from the possession of the slain militants.
Huge cache of arms and ammunition were recovered including six 7.62 mm AK-47 rifles, pistols with magazines, rounds, carts 7.62 mm AK-47 UBGLS, grenade UBGLS, hand grenades, Pakistan and Indian currency, and other types of equipment including medicine and food items.
"As far as identification is concerned, we have not been able to identify them, these are obliviously foreign militants and their identity would be established by police and other agencies.
However, the recoveries and other material carried by them, it seems the group belonged to the Lashkar-e-Toiba militant outfit," the officer said.
Meanwhile it is learnt from sources that a massive operation has been launched by army in Panar forests in north Kashmir's Bandipora district where a group of militants is believed to be hiding. The intermittent gunfire is on since Saturday evening in which two army men have been reported injured so far, official sources told Early Times. Heavy exchange of gunfire was also reported from the forests area till the last reports came in, the official said. |
