Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Nov 10: An Army officer was injured while a top Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) commander gave slip to the security forces in two separate operations that were launched by security forces in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district this afternoon.
Army said that an officer of Army’s 29 Rashtriya Rifles (RR), Major I P Singh, was injured in an operation in Para Mohalla in North Kashmir’s Pattan town of Baramulla district this evening.
Army said that the officer was injured when militants fired at him and he was hit by a bullet in his abdomen. He was removed to hospital for treatment where he was being operated upon. His condition is stated to be out of danger.
A senior police officer said that a police party was also rushed to the spot after the incident and the search operation has been launched in the area to trace the militants.
Pattan is the area where two Panchayat members were killed by militants in September this year forcing hundreds of Panchayat members to resign. The killings was a wakeup call for the Government. Police and Army was immediately tasked to do area domination in the sensitive areas of the district mostly villages around Pattan town where the two killings took place.
In the meantime, a top LeT commander Muzaffar Molvi alias Muzza Molvi gave slip to the Army and police in Sidiq Colony in Sopore town of North Kashmir this afternoon.
Police and Army launched a joint operation at around 2 p.m. in the area. Police had information about the presence of the LeT commander and his associate in the area when they launched the operation.
The operation was called off in the evening as during the searches they could not get any contact with the militants. Sources said that the two militants had fled from the area minutes before the cordon and search operation was launched by the security forces.
Muzaffar is a local militant hailing from Batpora area of Sopore town. He has been active for past 5 years and is one of the most wanted militants in North Kashmir.
Last month, troops killed Divisional Commander of LeT, Muzamil Amin Dar alias Urfi alias Abu Hushaam, during an operation in Sopore township of North Kashmir. Urfi was thought to be mastermind behind failed attempts on part of LeT to bomb Delhi during February this year.
Sopore is thought to be hot bed of militancy where despite continuous operations by police, Army and para-military Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), large number of militants are operating.
Security agencies maintained that Sopore is a strong LeT base where from they plan attacks across Kashmir. They feel public support in the area is one of the main reasons for survival of the LeT militants in the area.
Of late security forces and police have started several measures to win the local population so as to snatch people’s support from the militants. They are conducting medical camps and involving youth of the area in various programmes to fight the militants in the area by winning hearts and minds of the people.
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