REASI AFTERMATH NIA team visits encounter site; forest sanitized, fresh searches in Udhampur

JAMMU: In the backdrop of startling revelations by the guide of three JeM terrorists killed yesterday, a team of National Investigation Team (NIA) on Friday visited the encounter site in Reasi district, even as security forces, along with bomb disposal squad today sanitized the Dirthi forest area at Kakriyal near SMVDU and recovered the un-exploded grenades, bombs and IEDs used to neutralize the terrorists during the encounter.

In the neighbouring Udhampur, locals have noticed some suspicious movement, following which security forces have pressed a massive search operation over a vast area in the district.

Three JeM terrorists who had freshly infiltrated into Indian side had opened firing near Jhajjar Kotli before escaping into forests on Wednesday morning. They were killed in a fierce encounter on Thursday.
On Friday, a team of NIA visited the encounter site as a part of its investigation.

Reports said that case has been handed over to NIA following disclosure by Riaz, a BSc nursing student from Valley turned terrorist guide that he had carried around twenty terrorists to Kashmir, earlier, from Jammu.

Wednesday’s was the fourth time he was taking terrorists to Kashmir,” he had told the police during interrogation.

This revelation has triggered a major concern, following which the case has been handed over to NIA. It was in this connection that their team visited the encounter site in Dirthi forest area at Kakriyal near SMVDU in Reasi, a senior police officer said.

Meanwhile, Army and police team along with bomb disposal squad today sanitized the encounter site and recovered the un-exploded grenades, bombs and IEDs used by the security forces to neutralize the terrorists during the encounter.

Reports said that a police team of senior police officers including DIG Bhim Sen Tutti, SSP Reasi Nisha Nathyal besides other police officers and army’s bomb disposal squad visited the encounter site and recovered number of the unexploded explosives and after sanitizing the area, the same was left free for public.

The bodies of the slain terrorists were taken to the Reasi hospital for identification and other legal formalities. Police said that a case of 307, 120, 121-Arms and others relevant acts has been registered in police station Katra in this connection.

The probe would be handed over to the NIA team, said police.

Keeping in view the security concern of a farmer, who had got the terrorists trapped when they took shelter in his house, the police has shifted him to a safe house, a senior police officer informed.

Meanwhile, searches were launched at Sunari, Kembal Tanya and other areas of district Udhampur after locals reported presence of a couple of suspects with rucksacks in the area.

“Acting on reports of suspicious movement, security forces carried out a massive search operation over a vast area,” Senior Superintendent of Police Rayees Mohammad Bhat said.

Following the inputs, the parties of police CRPF and army were deployed for domination and searches in a day –long operation.

He said no immediate signs or incriminating evidence were found during the operation to point at the presence of "nefarious persons".

By the evening, the search operation was closed down.

The SSP requested people to not panic but asked them to stay alert.