Major operation against militants launched in North Kashmir

Fayaz Bukhari

Srinagar, Jan 19: Security forces have launched a major operation in North Kashmir against militants after they received inputs about the presence of two militant groups in Sopore and Kupwara areas of North Kashmir while they averted major tragedy by defusing two Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) planted by militants this morning.
Security forces for the past several days have been getting regular inputs about militant movement in Sopore and Kupwara areas of North Kashmir.
In Sopore, they killed two divisional commanders of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) during an operation in Saidpora area of Sopore in North Kashmir yesterday. These two militants were part of six members of a militant group who have infiltrated into Kashmir valley in 2013.
Security forces today launched an operation in Mir Mohalla locality of Saidpora in Sopore area after they got inputs about the presence of two militants of the group in the area.
Sources said that the security forces have inputs about the presence of 4 members of the group whose two commanders were killed in Saidpora yesterday. They have inputs that these four militants are in the areas of Shiva, Cherhar, Marbal, Saidpora, Dangerpora and Dooru.
Army’s 22, 52, 27, 30 Rashtriya Rifles and Special Operations Group of Jammu and Kashmir Police have launched operations against them. The group was trapped in Zaloora forests in August this year but it gave slip to the security forces taking cover of bad weather, dense forest cover and darkness.
Security forces have also got inputs about presence of around 20 militants in the forests of Kupwara. Sources said that these militants have recently infiltrated into Kashmir. They have launched massive operations against them.
In the meantime, security forces averted a major tragedy in North Kashmir by recovering and defusing two Improvised Explosive Devices that were planted by militants to target security forces.
A Defence spokesman said here that based on the joint intelligence inputs received from unit source and Jammu and Kashmir Police about a presence of IEDs, two pressure cooker based IEDs were recovered in the morning today at two different places at Mundzi area of Sopore and Mazham area on Srinagar-Gulmarg highway.
“On receipt of the specific input about the presence of IED on Watlab – Pazalpura road,   the troops of the Rashtriya Rifle unit along with JKP, carried out  search of the area resulting into the recovery of one pressure cooker based IED, weighing approximately 5 KGs, planted under the culvert near village Mundzi  of Sopore , today. The area was immediately cordoned on either side of the road and IED was destroyed in situ by the joint Bomb Disposal Teams of JKP and Army”, the spokesman said.
The spokesman said that another IED was recovered on Srinagar-Gulmarg highway this morning. “In another similar incident, the input of one more IED was received by the Army on Narbal – Gulmarg state highway.  The troops of the Rashtriya Rifles unit along with JKP, carried out search of the area resulting into the recovery of similarly designed pressure cooker based IED, weighing approximately 5 KGs, planted on the road in the Garbage dump near village Mazhama, today. The area was immediately cordoned on either side of the road and IED was destroyed in situ by the combined Bomb Disposal Squads of JKP and Army”, the spokesman added.

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