Search operation resumes in Kupwara woods, 5 SF, as many militants killed

TNN Bureau. Updated: 3/22/2018 11:29:24 AM Jammu and Kashmir

Srinagar, Mar 22 : A search operation was resumed with the first light on Thursday morning in the frontier district of Kupwara, where five foreign militants were killed and equal number of security forces were martyred in the encounter which ensued on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the district administration of Kupwara has ordered closure of Government Degree College (DGC) in the district, as a precautionary measure on Thursday.

Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir S P Pani and other senior police and CRPF officers paid floral tributes to Selection Grade Constable Deepak Thusoo, a resident of Nagrota, Jammu, at District Police Lines (DPL), Srinagar on Thursday.

There is no fresh information in the Halmatpora woods as security forces are conducting searches, Defence ministry Spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia told TNN on Thursday morning.

He said no fresh contact was established with the militants, since Wednesday.

Three Army soldiers and two personnel of the Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police were martyred and five militants, believed to be foreigners, were also gunned down in the woods, since the eruption of encounter on Tuesday, he said.

The operation was suspended last night due to darkness in the dense forest to avoid any casualty, official sources told TNN, adding that forces have resumed the operation from different directions. However, despite all odds including chilly weather conditions, security forces remained deployed throughout the night.

It is believed that the militants had recently infiltrated into this side from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK), where a large number of trained ultras are waiting to sneak into this side as there was very less snow on the higher reaches this winter. However, security forces guarding the LoC are already on high alert to foil any infiltration attempt.

Giving details about the Halmatpora encounter, a police spokesman said that on a specific information troops of 41 Rashtriya Rifles (RR), 160 Territorial Army (TA), state police, 98 and 162 CRPF launched a joint search operation in Halmatpora forest in Kupwara on Tuesday.

When the security forces were moving deep into forest in a particular area, militants opened indiscriminate firing with automatic weapons. Security forces also retaliated ensuing a fierce encounter, he said, adding that five militants were killed. A large cache of arms and ammunition, including AK rifle and grenades, were recovered.


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