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Anantnag anti-terror op enters Day 6; 2 bodies found in forest
The anti-terrorist operation in the Garol forest area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district entered the sixth day on Monday
Srinagar: The anti-terrorist operation in the Garol forest area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district entered the sixth day on Monday, fast becoming one of the longest-running operations by the security forces in the Valley in recent years, people familiar with the matter said.
A joint operation by the army and J&K police is underway in the dense forests of Garol, where two to three terrorists are believed to be holed up since Wednesday after killing two army officers and a police officer in the initial exchange of fire.
According to news agency PTI, security personnel found two bodies in the forest on Monday. The agency quoted unnamed officials as saying that one of the bodies was of the solider who had gone missing on the first day of the operation and the second was of one of the terrorists.
As the search for terrorists continues, it is fast becoming one of the longest operations since 2015, when security forces were engaged in a 24-day-long operation in Manigah forests in North Kashmir’s Kupwara district. The Manigah operation was launched on November 17, 2015, after two-three terrorists managed to sneak into the dense forest following initial encounters with security forces, in which the Commanding Officer of 41 Rashtriya Rifles ColonelSantosh Mahadik was killed on November 17 and another officer Lt Col Karan Bir Singh Natt was injured on November 22.
Besides the longevity of the operations, a senior officer said, there are many similarities in Garol and Manigah.
The terrain and forests at Garol and Manigah are similar, but the latter is closer to the Line of Control (LoC), a senior officer who has been tracking anti-terrorist operations in the Valley said.
“This time security forces have the advantage of using latest surveillance equipment such as Heron drones and quadcopters to scan the dense forests,” the officer said, requesting anonymity.
In Manigah, two-three terrorists after killing the commanding officer took refuge in a hut before escaping into deep forests. “The terrain at Manigah and Garol forests are same and terrorists that time [in 2015] got advantage of forests to escape. This time it looks like all the exit points have been sealed and those responsible for killings of army officers and soldier would be tracked down,” the officer said. “This time, the security forces are using the latest equipment, which gives them an advantage. However, the terrain and dense foliage remain a hurdle.”
The Manigah operation — which was jointly undertaken by soldiers of three battalions, para commandos and the special operation group of the J&K police — was called off after 24 days as terrorists managed to escape in the dense forests, very close to the LoC.
Giving details about the Garol operation, additional director general of police (ADGP), Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said that two to three terrorists have been encircled, including local Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Uzair Khan who, the police believe, was involved in the encounter.
In a post on X, formerly twitter, Kumar on Friday said the operation in the forests of Anantnag district was launched based on specific input. “Rtd police/army officers should avoid the ‘Ambush Hypothesis’. It is a specific input-based ops… and all 2-3 trapped terrorists will be neutralised,” he had said.
In the initial exchange of fire on September 13, Colonel Manpreet Singh, Commanding Officer of the 19 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Ashish Dhonchak, deputy superintendent of J&K police Humayun Bhat and a soldier were killed by the terrorists.
