Search ops on to track down Jaish terrorists in J&K’s Kishtwar
Security personnel scouring dense forest area for four days, looking for terrorists who abducted and killed two village defence guards (VDGs) in the upper reaches of Ohli Kuntwara last Thursday.
Security forces continued their search operation in the dense forests of Keshwan and adjoining areas in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district on Monday, a day after a junior commissioned officer (JCO) of the Indian Army died in a gunfight with terrorists holed up in the area.
The security personnel have been scouring the forest area for four days, looking for the terrorists who abducted and killed two village defence guards (VDGs) in the upper reaches of Ohli Kuntwara last Thursday.
“The army along with police resumed searches on Monday morning to track down the group of terrorists, believed to be three to four, in the dense forests of Keshwan and adjoining areas in Kishtwar district,” a senior police officer said.
He said that the army has deployed helicopters and drones besides sniffer dogs to locate the terrorists in the dense jungles. “The terrorists belonging to the Jaish-e-Mohammad are trained in guerrilla warfare and use the hilly terrain and jungles to their advantage,” he said.
Sunday’s encounter broke out when joint search parties of the army and Jammu and Kashmir police intercepted the terrorists around 11am in the Keshwan forest area. The exchange of fire went on for more than four hours.
Naib subedar Rakesh Kumar of the army’s 2 Parachute Regiment Special Forces made the supreme sacrifice, while three more soldiers were injured in the gunfight. He was leading a team of the special forces commandos when it was ambushed in the Gidri Top area.
Officials said there has been no fresh contact with the terrorists since Sunday’s encounter.
On Thursday evening, the terrorists had abducted VDGs Nazir Ahmed and Kuldeep Kumar and shot them from point-blank range.
Paying homage to Naib Subedar Rakesh Kumar, the army’s White Knight Corps posted on X: “#GOC #WhiteknightCorps and all ranks salute the supreme sacrifice of #Braveheart, Nb Sub Rakesh Kumar of 2 Para (SF). Sub Rakesh was part of a joint #CI operation launched in general area of # Bhart Ridge #Kishtwar on 09 Nov 2024. We stand with bereaved family in this hour of grief.”
Following the killing of the two VDGs on Thursday, commandos of the special forces were on the trail of the terrorists.
Gidri Top is 5km from Pondgwari Nullah, where the bodies of the two guards were found.
The distance from Ohli Kuntwara to Munzla Dhar (Pondgwari Nullah) is 4.5 kms. However, it is a steep ascent of almost 90 degrees.
Kashmir Tigers, an offshoot of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), said that it had abducted and killed the two VDGs
This year, 16 security personnel, 10 civilians and three VDGs have died in separate attacks in the Jammu region. Security forces have also gunned down 13 terrorists in the region.