Longest army operation on in forests of Kupwara along LoC

For more than three weeks, the Army’s operations to flush out militants from the dense jungles of Kupwara have continued.

For more than three weeks, the Army’s operations to flush out militants from the dense jungles of Kupwara have continued.

One of the longest running operations, it involves nearly 800 security personnel, including personnel from both the Army and the CRPF. (PTI file photo)

One of the longest running operations, it involves nearly 800 security personnel, including personnel from both the Army and the CRPF. They are on the lookout for a group of three to four militants in a forest adjacent to the Line of Control in north Kashmir.

The list of casualties has also increased — Commanding Officer, 41 Rashtriya Rifles, Santosh Mahadik was killed on November 17. Another officer, Lt Col Karan Bir Singh Natwas, was injured, while two soldiers also sustained injuries in gunfight. Two militants were also killed while one died in an encounter. The body of a militant, believed to have died after falling off a cliff, was later recovered by the army.

A Srinagar-based Army spokesman said contact has been made with the group a number of times but there is no deadline for calling off the operation yet. “The operation has been majorly scaled down. We know it is

causing inconvenience to people living in the area, which we regret, but we cannot fully disengage right now or all our gains of the past so many days will be lost,” he said.