4 militants killed in Kashmir

JAMMU: On third day of the Poonch encounter, commandos of army’s elite 9-Para and Special Operations Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir Police stormed the three-storied

JAMMU: On third day of the Poonch encounter, commandos of army’s elite 9-Para and Special Operations Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir Police stormed the three-storied under construction building of mini secretariat in the border town and gunned down an ultra, who had been hiding since Sunday.

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“With killing of this ultra, a total of four terrorists were eliminated in the three-day long operation. All the three floors of the building have been sanitized and the operation has been called off. However, searches will continue,” said inspector general, in-charge Rajouri-Poonch range, Johny Williams.

Since Monday, Jammu and Kashmir Police had been stating that four terrorists were eliminated; of which bodies of two ultras were recovered while two more bodies were spotted lying inside the building via drones.

“In fact, this ultra, who was eliminated on Tuesday, was injured and he had been opening intermittent fire. Since we did not want to lose any of our men and to ensure zero casualties on our side, we tried to wear out the remaining ultras, whose exact numbers were not known,” said Williams.

Security forces have recovered four AK-47 assault rifles, 16 magazines, four under-barrel grenade launchers and four pistols from the building.

Williams informed that for the final assault, bunkers (Casper vehicles) were positioned around the building and then a joint team of commandos from 9 Para and SOG moved into the building.

Security forces had to blast a wall on top floor with a powerful IED to make passage for the commandos. “The commandos descended from third floor and started their cleansing operation. This half dead militant was swiftly and surgically eliminated by them,” said the IG.

He informed that the security forces exercised maximum restraint to avoid collateral damage. “It was a densely populated Mohalla and therefore we had to carry out the operation with utmost restraint, which we did,” he added.

A police officer said that it appears that badly injured in the exchange of fire; this fourth militant was spotted alongside a dead ultra by the drones on Sunday.

“And, thereafter when the cordon was on, he might have dragged the body of his colleague to another place inside the building,” he said.

The under construction building had more than 80 rooms, over 20 toilets and 8 underground water and septic tanks. A police officer Rajinder Kumar was martyred and seven others including a Para commando, three police officers, two soldiers and a civilian were injured in the protracted encounter that began Sunday morning.

Poonch SSP, JS Johar said, “a total of four ultras were eliminated in the protracted operation. Now, the area is being sanitized.”