Intruders came prepared for long battle
*Pak-made eatables, sedative drugs, M4 Carbine seized
*50 terrorists present on launching pads: GOC
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Oct 29: Security forces gunned down two remaining terrorists this morning ending 27 hours long operation with the killing of all three terrorists who had come prepared for a long battle which was evident from the recoveries made from their possession including dry fruits, juices, medicines and large quantity of ammunition and a M4 Carbine at village Jogwan in Battal area of Akhnoor.
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“All three slain terrorists belonged to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) outfit and were Pakistani nationals. They were buried this afternoon at an unknown place but their DNAs have been preserved,” officials told the Excelsior.
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They said the dry fruits, juices, sedative drugs and large quantity of ammunition in possession of the terrorists was an indication that they had come prepared for prolonged attack but their designs were thwarted by the troops who timely intercepted and neutralized all of them.
“An M4 Carbine was also recovered from the slain terrorists besides other assault rifles and explosive devices. All of them were in combat dresses,” the officials said, adding this is first recovery of M4 Carbine in Jammu district.
The terror group appeared to be freshly infiltrated from across the Line of Control (LoC) but it is being investigated when and how they intruded into the Indian territory. A wire cutter has been recovered from them. The Pak-made eatables and drugs found in possession of the terrorists clearly indicated that the slain terrorists were Pakistanis though their identity hasn’t been established so far.
Army used unmanned vehicles and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to get quick and successful results in eliminating the terrorists.
Officials said Army and police resumed operations against two surviving terrorists with the first light. Their movement was observed about 200 metres away from Assan temple, where one of the terrorists was eliminated yesterday. A heavy gun fight ensued in which both the terrorists were killed.
Their bodies were recovered from the spot with all precautions. The Bomb Disposal Squads reached the spot and defused explosive devices.
Recoveries besides M4 Carbine and Pakistan made eatables include two AK-47 rifles, eight magazines, one pistol, 20 rounds, one hand grenade, note pads, shoes, blankets, trousers, shorts and wire cutter. Recovery of wire cutter indicated that the terrorists might have cut the fence to infiltrate from Pakistan but this aspect is part of investigations.
“After overnight surveillance, “an intense firefight unfolded today morning resulting in a significant victory for our forces. Relentless operations and tactical excellence have led to the elimination of three terrorists. The operation also saw the successful recovery of war-like stores, marking a critical step in maintaining security in the region,” Army’s Jammu-based White Knight Corps said in a post on X.
The officials said the slain terrorists are believed to have infiltrated from across the border on Sunday night before appearing outside a temple and targeting the Army convoy.
“After a night-long lull, the security forces pushed for a final assault against the holed-up terrorists at around 7 am, leading to a fresh gunfight,” an official said, adding a couple of deafening explosions followed by intense firing continued for over an hour before the second terrorist was killed. Intermittent exchange of fire continued for another hour before the third trapped ultra was eliminated.
A four-year-old valiant Army dog, Phantom, attained martyrdom in the operation after being hit by a bullet yesterday.
Meanwhile, over 50 terrorists are likely present on the launching pads across the border to sneak into Jammu region, General Officer Commanding of 10 Infantry Division, Major General Sameer Srivastava said at a media briefing after the successful operation against the terrorists.
Joined by DIG Jammu-Samba-Kathua Range Shiv Kumar Sharma and Brig Kapil Taneja, the GOC said the Army will not allow the terrorists a free run to harm civilians.
“The pattern of infiltration changes with each passing year, especially during snowfall and we are ready for the challenge,” he said.
Maj Gen Srivastava said the challenges remain the same – counter the infiltration and terrorist actions.
“We are fully prepared as you have seen in the recent successful operations against terrorists. I am sure such successful operations will have an impact on terrorism,” he said.
Asked about the number of terrorists likely present on the launching pads south of Pir Panjal, he said the inputs about the figure usually keeps varying with changing times.
“As per the joint intelligence reports, there are 50 to 60 terrorists present there,” the senior Army officer said.
Describing the killing of three terrorists in Akhnoor as a major success for the security forces, he said they were not part of the fresh infiltration group.
Maj Gen Srivastava said, “This was a group which was present in the hinterland and we were tracking them for some time. They came here and got exposed.”
“The area (Akhnoor) will be kept under strict surveillance even as ground reports suggest that there were only three terrorists,” he added.
He said the counter-infiltration grid has been strengthened and “no infiltration had taken place in this area”.
The terrorists present in the hinterland are moving in small groups and had moved to this area for a direct action, he said.
Maj Gen Srivastava said there is no permanent presence of terrorists in Akhnoor, adding, “We will not let our guard down. The area has seen no infiltration for a long time.”
To a question about the recovery of sophisticated M-4 carbine from the slain terrorists and the possibility of Pakistan army directly providing arms to the terrorists, he said, “The source (of providing arms) can be many and it is very difficult to speculate.”
Asked whether the terrorists were planning a similar attack as the one in Gulmarg ahead of Diwali in Jammu, he quipped “that is what it appears”, adding, “Any other reason to be there is very unlikely. Even if it was there, it (Jammu) was a wrong selection.”
Responding to another question about the attire of the slain terrorists, he said the types of combat uniforms are easily available in the market.
The senior Army officer said a huge cache of arms, ammunition and IEDs were recovered from the dead terrorists but denied having recovered an explosive vest during the operation.
“No belt IED was found even as all of them had personal weapons and ammunition,” he said, adding ‘fidayeen’ (suicide) action is something very difficult to be carried out in this area.”
On terrorists targeting peaceful areas, he said terrorism is all about sensationalising things and “I think they came here (Akhnoor) to make sensational news”.
DIG, Jammu-Samba-Kathua range, Shiv Kumar Sharma who was present at the press conference along with Major General Sameer Srivastava said they have been holding meetings including a one-off with Jammu and Kashmir LG Manoj Sinha to ensure coordination between the Army and police.
“Recently, we have had many meetings – including one with (Jammu and Kashmir) LG Manoj Sinha… The aim is that the coordination between the Army and the Police continue to be there – so that we can quickly neutralise if we track any terrorist presence anywhere. For that, our synergy is increasing day-to-day. This operation is one such example…,” DIG Sharma said.
Earlier, Jammu Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Joginder Singh also briefed the media about the incident saying three terrorists have been neutralized.
“As soon as we received information that terrorists were at the said location, they opened fire at the Army ambulance. It was then certain that there were terrorists here. The entire area was cordoned off. Army, police, SOG, and paramilitary forces all participated in this operation,” Singh said.
Meanwhile, in Rajouri and Poonch districts, Army’s Rashtriya Rifles troops are conducting regular and aggressive search operations, particularly in dense forest areas, despite challenging conditions, they said.
Army troops are closely monitoring all dense forest areas through both technical and manual means, especially in regions notorious for recent terror incidents, while forest patrolling has also been intensified, they added.
To stay prepared, the Indian Army is conducting special training sessions and firing practice camps for its personnel deployed in the hinterlands of Rajouri and Poonch.
In order to enhance the firing and operational skills of personnel on hinterland duties, the Indian Army is organising regular special training capsules, they stated.
These specialised firing practice sessions are held in dense forest areas, where Army teams conduct anti-terror operations and training simultaneously, they said.
During these sessions, Army personnel are trained to use both small arms, like pistols, and automatic weapons like AK rifles and firing at both static and moving targets.
Troops also receive ongoing training in Quick Action tactics following any terror-related incident which include utilising special bulletproof vehicles for rapid response.
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