Security Forces have penetrated deep inside the forests of Kupwara after failing to capture a group of militants believed to have infiltrated into North Kashmir's Kupwara district on Line of Control on Monday last week.
Despite establishing contact with the elusive militants two times in eight days, the army and police have not been able to either neutralise the infiltrators nor have they been able to zero in on them.
"We will soon be apprehending the group. We have contact with the terrorists twice but owing to dense forests, we were not able to succeed," said Kashmir inspector general of police, AG Mir.
The officer said that the troops have intensified search operations in Budnambli forests(place of first contact) and cordoned Badibakhi forest area after second contact on Tuesday.
The security forces have also put into service the men of Para troops besides using the services of sniffer dogs.
A local newspaper quoting SSP Kupwara Irshad Ahmad said that all the entry and exit points around the Budnambli forest area have been blocked. “Our inputs suggest that militants are still hiding in the forest area. The area is under siege and the troops will soon zero-in on the hiding militants”.
He confirmed that a brief encounter took place between militants and troops in Badibakhi forest area on Tuesday.
{{/usCountry}}He confirmed that a brief encounter took place between militants and troops in Badibakhi forest area on Tuesday.
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However, the SSP suspected that there were two groups of militants rather than one. “It is not practically possible to travel from Budnambli to Badibakhi forest area. It seems the militants had already been present in the Badibakhi forest area, where brief encounter took place today” said the district police officer.