4 OGWs held for providing support to terrorists
VDGs want bolt action weapons replaced
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, July 17: Police have arrested four Over Ground Workers (OGWs) responsible for providing logistic support to the terrorists in Doda district while there was fresh exchange of firing between security forces and terrorists at Kalaan Bhata where the Village Defence Guards (VDGs) observed movement of suspects last night.
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A police statement issued today identified the OGWs arrested by it during past few days as Mubashir Hussain, Safder Ali, Sajjad Ahmed and Showket Ali. The first three have been lodged in the District Jail Bhaderwah while the fourth one is in police custody.
“Arrests were part of police crackdown on the OGW network who were sustaining the foreign terrorists hiding in the forest area,” the officials said, adding all of them were involved in providing food and shelter to the terrorists.
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More arrests are expected to be made soon as police has intensified drive against the upper ground network of the terrorists, the officials said.
Meanwhile, the VDGs are reported to have exchange fire with terrorists at Kalaan Bhata at 10.45 pm and then near Panchan Bhata at 2 am last night during the ongoing anti-terrorist operation in the Dessa forest area, where four Army personnel were martyred during the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday.
Army, paramilitary forces and police have reached the spot to intensify search operations.
There are no reports of any casualties in the latest exchange of fire. Taking advantage of the darkness, difficult terrain and thick foliage, the terrorists managed to slip away, the officials said but added that search operations are on to track them down.
Two explosive shells were recovered during a separate search operation in Sinoo forest area of Gandoh in Doda district.
Sinoo forest witnessed a day-long encounter on June 26, resulting in the killing of three foreign terrorists and recovery of a huge cache of arms and ammunition, including a US-made M4 carbine.
Meanwhile, dozens of VDGs are helping security forces in Dessa forest of Doda district in their search for the terrorists who killed four soldiers on Monday night.
The VDGs have vowed not to let the terrorists escape the area, but say their slower bolt-action weapons must be replaced by more sophisticated automatic rifles to counter the heavily armed ultras.
“We have not slept for two nights, said Sudarshan Singh, a member of a VDG group patrolling the Gai and the Banda areas.
“They escaped (from the scene of the gunfight in Dessa forest on Monday night) but for how long will they keep running, they will die as we are not going to allow them to escape,” he said.
Sudarshan Singh said they were getting inputs about the movement of terrorists for the past few days but could not ascertain their location.
“The terrorists are on the run and we will not allow them to leave this area alive,” Sanjay Singh, another VDG member, said and added that VDGs will continue to fight terrorists with or without automatic weapons.
Singh said the .303 rifle is no match for an automatic weapon.
“We know the topography of the area and need automatic weapons to counter terrorists who are equipped with the most sophisticated weapons like the US-made M4 carbine,” he said.
“The Government should frame a proper policy for us (VDGs). We want ex-servicemen, whether from the army, police or the paramilitary forces, to head our groups,” Singh said.
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