Massive search ops continue in north Kashmir for militants who fled during encounter

While three militants were killed on Sunday, the forces are looking for more of them in the area as they suspect some escaped during the operation

A massive search operation is on in the dense forests of north Kashmir’s Bandipore district to trace militants who are believed to have fled after an encounter with security forces on Sunday.

Representational image. (AP)

While three militants were killed on Sunday, the forces are looking for more of them in the area as they suspect some escaped during the operation.

Among the three killed during the encounter, one has been identified by the police as one Shakir Altaf. They said he had gone to Pakistan in 2018 on a passport via Wagah border, according to Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Range, Vijay Kumar.

According to police, troopers of two units of Rashtriya Rifiles, para troopers and navy’s marcos are currently involved in the search operation. One army soldier sustained injuries in the operation.

Shokbaba forest in the Sumblar belt of the district, where the encounter took place, has been used by militants as a transit point in the past.

Sources told Hindustan Times that a group of militants, including Shakir, managed to infiltrate the Valley recently via Gurez sector in Bandipore.

However, neither Director General of Police Dilbagh Singh nor Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Range, Vijay Kumar confirmed or denied that the militants killed in the Bandipore encounter were fresh infiltrators.

So far, 81 militants have been killed in Kashmir since January this year. Most of them were killed in south Kashmir’s four districts - Shopian, Pulwama, Anantnag and Kulgam. This year, neither police nor army reported any major infiltration via Line of Control in north Kashmir after India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire in March.