Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 29: A policeman was killed in a gun battle with militants in Hajin area of North Kashmir’s Bandipora district today while a top commander of Lashkar-e-Toiba and his two associates slipped out of cordon under the cover of stone pelting.
Security forces this morning cordoned off Mir Mohalla area of Hajin in district Bandipora after inputs about the presence of three militants in the village. The SOG of Jammu and Kashmir Police and 33 RR of Army launched an operation after inputs about presence of LeT commander, Ali Bhai, and his associates hiding in the village.
As the security forces were cordoning off the village, militants opened fire on security forces injuring a policeman of Special Operations Group (SOG).
The injured policeman, identified as constable Zaheer Abbas, a resident of Poonch, was shifted to a hospital where he succumbed.
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The militants escaped under the cover of darkness and soon after the firing stopped, locals took to streets and clashed with the security forces to help the militants escape.
The ding dong battles continued for several hours and security forces fired tear gas to quell the protests. However, the operation was later cordon off as security forces got information that the militants have fled the area.
In the meantime, General Officer Commanding (GOC) Baramulla based 19 Division of Army Major General RP Kalita said that militants and Pakistani troops are desperate to push in infiltrators ahead of winter.
Speaking to reporters, Major General Kalita said that continuous ceasefire violations along Line of Control (LoC) are a result of Pakistan’s frustration because they have not been able to push militants into this side.
The GOC said there are 60-70 militants waiting on launch pads to cross into this side. He said that there is growing frustration among Pakistan as only one month is left for infiltration of militants and so far they haven’t been able to push as many as militants they wanted to.
Major General Kalita said that Army is on high alert along the LoC and they will not allow the militant and Pakistani designs to succeed. He said that militants this year made several bids of infiltration this year but Army foiled them.
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