Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, May 10: After massive searches for two weeks, security forces today engaged a recently infiltrated militant group in Handwara forests of North Kashmir’s Kupwara district. Fierce gun battle took place this evening after the security forces spotted few of the members of the group and challenged them.
A top security official said that Special Operations Group of Jammu and Kashmir Police and Army’s 21-Rashtriya Rifles (RR) spotted 3-4 militants of the group at Bawan Watsar area of Rajwar forests in Handwara this evening. He said that they were challenged and militants fired at them leading to a gun battle. However, it is not known whether militants are trapped or fled from the spot.
However, sources said that some of the militants of the group managed to escape into nearby forests while two of them have been trapped. The firing has stopped and security forces have put the operation on hold due to darkness and dense forest area.
More troops have been rushed to the spot and more area has been cordoned off to prevent militants from flee the area.
Army launched a massive operation in North Kashmir’s Kupwara forests against this group after reports of infiltration of a militant group of at least 10 members in the area from Pakistan cccupied Kashmir (PoK) last month.
Sources said that these militants of LeT infiltrated into the forests of Budnambal during the intervening night of April 18 and 19 from PoK. Army’s 19-Maratha initially conducted operation against them. However, after they failed to trace out the group, another operation was launched by Army’s 28-RR, 18-RR and Special Operations Group (SOG) of Police, Kupwara, in Patushai, Kantpora and Shumbreyal forest areas.
The group was being tracked since last month and today security forces spotted them for the first time and had a brief encounter with them.
Army had already inputs that the militants may try to sneak into Kashmir in large numbers this year into Kashmir and they have intensified patrolling along the LoC.
Army inputs suggest that the number of militants on the launch pads across the LoC has increased in recent months. During this year’s winters, 50-70 militants were at the launch pads in PoK ready for infiltration into Kashmir and the number has now gone upto around 200. These militants are on 12 launch pads that are in PoK near the LoC and the maximum increase in has been observed in Neelam valley launch pads.
Last summer there were 500 militants waiting for the infiltration on the launch and numbers may increase this year.
Last year, infiltration was down by 50 percent due to strengthening of the counter-infiltration grid along 400 kilometer LoC in Kashmir. The Multi Agency Centre (MAC) figures of last year put the infiltration figures of 2015 at 35.
According to the MAC figures 65 militants infiltrated into Kashmir in 2014, 97 infiltrated in 2013, 121 in 2012, 52 in 2011, 82 in 2010, 99 infiltrated in 2009 and 27 infiltrated in 2008.
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