Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Dec 17: Security forces’ operation in North Kashmir against a group of heavily armed militants entered third day today with security cordon extended to more villages.
Security forces today brought 27-Rashtriya Rifles (RR) of counter insurgency Kilo Force from Aloosa, Bandipora for the outer cordon as more villages were brought under the cordon and search operation today.
The cordon and search operation around Hard Shiva village in North Kashmir’s Sopore area was launched after information about presence of a heavily armed militant group in the village was received by police and Army on Saturday. They had to call off the operation after they couldn’t locate militants in the village but cordon and search operation was re-launched hours after lifting of the cordon following information that the militants are hiding somewhere in the village.
The SOG Sopore, 22 RR and 27 RR of counter-insurgency Kilo Force have now cordoned off Hard Shiva, Manzpora Shiva, Khar Mohalla and Reshipora areas of Sopore and conducted house to house searches.
Police and Army have so far recovered 5 Khan suits with one of the shirts and trousers blood stained and having bullet marks and one jacket. Sources said that two militants were injured in the forests of Cherhar in Bandipora last week had been brought to Hard Shiva for treatment. Police have detained one of the persons from Hard Shiva on the suspicion of having treated the two injured militants.
Security forces had information about the presence of around 5-6 militants in the Hard Shiva villages with a couple of them injured.
This is the same area where Army and police killed a divisional commander of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and his two associates while LeT chief Fahadullah gave slip to them early this week.
Security forces had initially launched the operation in Cherhar area of Bandipora in North Kashmir on December 12 where four militants including the LeT Chief were present in the house of village Sarpanch.
The four militants including the LeT chief slipped out of the security cordon but three were next day gunned down in the operation in the nearby villages. One among them, Yehya Khan of Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit, was killed in Cherhar forests in Bandipora and security forces have information that two militants, associates of LeT chief, were also injured there who were bought to Hard Shiva for treatment.
The other two militants who were killed identified as divisional commander of LeT for North Kashmir Abu Zarar, a local militant Khitab of Kulgam district of South Kashmir. Initially it was believed that these two were associates of LeT chief who had slipped out of the cordon in Cherhar village. Now the security forces believe that only one of the militants Yehya Khan was killed there while two associates of LeT chief, Fahadullah, were injured.
Fahadullah is the most wanted militant commander who is mostly operating from North Kashmir’s Sopore area for past 5 years. He infiltrated into Kashmir valley in 2007 and graduated to the LeT chief as the successive chiefs were killed over the years. He was injured in 2009 during an encounter in Sopore’s Badam Bagh area.
Fahadullah succeeded Abdullah Uni, the most wanted militant commander of LeT who had fled from security cordons dozens of times. Uni was killed by Police and army during an operation in Sopore town last year.
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