Search ops continue in Poonch, Rajouri

JAMMU: Security forces on Monday continued combing operations in the forest belt of Jammu & Kashmir’s Poonch and Rajouri border districts where nine soldiers were killed in two separate gunfights with terrorists over the past week. Five Army personnel, including a junior commissioned officer (JCO), were killed in a fierce gunfight during a counter-insurgency operation in Chamrer area of Surankote forest on Monday. Four soldiers, including another JCO, died in another encounter in the Nar Khas forest in the Mendhar area of Poonch on Thursday evening.

“Para action is on, but there is nothing conclusive so far. Drones and a helicopter are being used in Nar Khas but there is no breakthrough. The search operations are on in both the places—Nar Khas and Chamrer,” said an Army officer.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police have said the terrorists were believed to be hiding in the jungles since August this year. A senior police officer said the terrorists believed to have sneaked in August from Balakote before reaching Nar Khas forests and

Chamrer.

“We also suspect that there could be two groups and one of them had reached Chamrer in Surankote on way to Shopian via Pir Ki Gali before they gunned down five soldiers on Monday last,” he added.

When five soldiers were killed in Chamrer area of Surankote, the terrorists were hiding at vantage positions and had opened fire from two different directions, said people familiar with the development.

“Nothing substantive was shared by intelligence agencies before five of our men were downed on Monday in Chamrer,” they said.