Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Oct 27: Security forces launched a massive operation after a brief gun battle with a group of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants this morning in Bandipora forests of North Kashmir.
An Army search party was fired upon by a group of LeT militants in the Serinder Kudara forest area of North Kashmir’s Bandipora district this morning. Army had launched search operation for past several weeks in the forest area where LeT militants have established a base for past two months.
Sources said that it was a group of 3-4 LeT militants with whom Army had a brief encounter. The militants, however, managed to escape after the gun battle due to dense fog in the area.
Later, more troops of Army’s 14, 27 and 13 Rashtriya Rifles (RR), 7 para-commandos, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Special Operations Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir Police launched a massive operation against the militant group.
Security forces recovered two pouches during the operation which militants had left behind while fleeing. The rains and cold is hampering the operation but sources said that the militants have not gone far off and are in the forest area only.
Bandipora area that was militancy free since 2008, has become active once again for past two months as LeT militants have established a base in the forests of the border district.
LeT established base in the area after Army and police conducted massive operations since May this year in North Kashmir forests putting pressure on the militants. So far they have killed 54 militants in North Kashmir including those killed on the Line of Control (LoC) while infiltrating.
Sources said there are over a dozen of LeT militants who are in Bandipora forests for past two months. These militants are believed to have shifted to Bandipora forests recently after intense pressure in other forest areas of North Kashmir where massive operations are on since May this year.
The operations in the Bandipora forests were intensified after a police officer, Sub-Inspector Altaf Ahmad, was killed in a gun battle at Gund Dachin area of Bandipora on October 7, when he intercepted a vehicle in which militants including divisional commander of Laskhar-e-Toiba (LeT), Abu Qasim, was travelling.
Security forces had information that the militant commander was on his way to Bandipora to receive a militant group of LeT and facilitate its movement to South Kashmir.
Reports said that Qasim was trying to shift these LeT militants to South Kashmir but security forces have foiled that attempt so far.
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