Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 20: Army, para-military Shastra Seema Bal (SSB) and police today recovered a large quantity of arms, ammunition and explosives from a hideout of the militants from Amrai Nullah in Chilli area of Gandoh in Doda district and foiled designs of the militants to revive militancy in the sensitive district.
Recoveries included six rifles and guns.
Official sources said a joint team of Sohanda Rashtriya Rifles under the aegis of Suigarh Sector of Delta Force, 42 battalion of SSB and Gandoh police of Doda district launched a joint search operation in Chilli area of Doda after developing specific inputs about a dump of arms and ammunition lying there. The arms dump reportedly belonged to Hizbul Mujahideen outfit.
The security personnel found the dump at Amrai Nullah and seized it. Recoveries made from the spot included one AK-47 rifle, two 12 bore rifles, one country made pistol, two muzzle loaded rifles, four AK-47 magazines, 150 rounds of AK-47 and 100 rounds of 7.6 mm.
The seized ammunition belonged to Hizbul Mujahideen outfit, whose one of the militant was active in the area in the recent past.
Sources said with the recoveries, Army, SSB and police have foiled designs of the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit to revive militancy in Doda district, which has otherwise been completely wiped out from the district. The recovery was possible due to accurate intelligence and coordinated operation conducted by Army, SSB and police.
“The recovery of huge cache has given major success to security forces and massive blow to the terrorists in the area and prevented arms and ammunition from falling into the hands of anti-national elements, who wanted to revive militancy in the district,’’ they added.
Sources said the recovery of arms, ammunition and explosives was being examined but most of the weaponry was in working condition and capable of causing extensive damage. After effecting the recoveries, security forces and police also conducted searches in the area but no arrests were made from the spot.
Sources didn’t rule out the possibility of some Over Ground Workers having kept an eye on the weaponry but failed to lift it due to intelligence of security forces and police, who seized the consignment before it could land into the hands of anti-national elements.
Senior officers of Army, SSB and police supervised the operation, which lasted three days, and led to recovery of the consignment of arms and ammunition of the militants.
It may be mentioned here that presently the district Doda has been declared as free of militancy but some recoveries belonging to the erstwhile militants continued to be made from different areas.
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