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| After 72 hr operation, two ultras killed, one still trapped in Mendhar forests | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, July 15: After a 72-hour-long "seek and destroy" operation, troops today shot dead in a gunbattle two of the terrorists, who had Tuesday night killed Maj Amit Thenge, and wounded a Colonel and five jawans in an ambush in the densely forested Beri Rakh belt of Mendhar in Poonch.
Though one militant was killed in Beri Rakh woods, the other was shot dead in the nearby upper Chhajla forests, police sources said.
Movement of the terrorists, earlier stated to be at least five in number, was first picked by troops of 37 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) in the thick and treacherous Beri Rakh woods late Tuesday evening.
While the troops were combing the forests, the militants had ambushed them, resulting in the death of Maj Thenge, and injuries to Col Ajay Katoch and five jawans.
After this sudden attack, more troops had joined the search parties and the whole area was cordoned off.
The holed up militants had made two attempts to flee late Tuesday night, but the troops had foiled them. They kept the troops engaged in an intermittent exchange of fire till 4 pm yesterday after which their guns had fallen silent.
Troops, however, kept firing intermittently in the direction of the militants from dusk to dawn, the sources added.
To foil any escape bid by them, the troops had laid multiple cordons and ambushes in the area.
The militants' suspected place of hiding was also targetted by troops at about 7 am today. Sources said when there was no retaliation, the jawans combed the whole area, but could not find any clue to the whereabouts of the militants.
Further search led them to the recovery of the body of a militant, who was most probably killed in the wee hours of this morning, the sources added, saying the other militants, however, managed to give the troops a slip.
A joint party of police and army, however, tracked down the escaped militants at about 12.15 pm in upper Chhajla forests, about 1.5 km ahead of Beri Rakh.
Sources said while the jawans were closing in on them, they hurled a grenade which exploded close to a police party, resulting in superficial splinter injuries to three PSOs of additional SP Manhas.
In retaliatory fire, the jawans killed one militant in a gunbattle that lasted an hour, or so.
Sources said the other militant was still alive and had been exchanging fire with the jawans till late tonight.
SSP, Poonch, Manmohan Singh said it was confirmed that there were only three militants out of which two had been killed. Earlier inputs had suggested that the group comprised of four militants, he added.
The SSP said identity of the slain terrorists was yet to be established. Two AK rifles along with four magazines and 50 rounds, Rs 10,000 Indian currency notes, one Nokia mobile set, an active SIM and a diary were recovered from them.
The bodies had been recovered and shifted to the mortuary of sub-district hospital, Mendhar. After post-mortem, these would be buried in a local graveyard tomorrow.
Singh said cordon was still on in the Chhajla forests and would continue till the holed up militant was killed.
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