Intense counter-terror ops underway in Kalakote area of J&K’s Rajouri

Intense counter-terror operations involving heavy exchange of fire between terrorists and security forces were on in the Kalakote area of Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, said officials.

Jammu-based Defence spokesperson Lt Col Suneel Bartwal said, “Technology is being used to monitor the terrorists. Presently, intense operations are under progress.”

“Following successful operations in the same area on September 13, due to continual flow of intelligence, area domination and constant pressure on the terrorists, a specific intelligence about the movement of some suspected individuals was received on October 1 by the police. A joint operation by the Indian Army and police was launched in general area Kalakote.”

“Presently, use of technology is being resorted, to monitor the terrorists. Intense operations are under progress,” he added.

Official sources divulged that security forces suspect the presence of two to three heavily armed terrorists in the jungle area, where the operation has been launched.

An encounter broke out on Monday evening between terrorists and security forces during a search operation in the forest area of Kalakote.

The Army along with police had cordoned off the Broh and Soom forest belt in the Kalakote area early on Monday following information about suspicious movement.

The search operation turned into an encounter late in the evening when the terrorists hiding in the area opened fire on the forces in an attempt to break the cordon, the officials said.

Recent counter-terror operations

On September 12 and 13, security forces gunned down two terrorists in Narla area of the Rajouri district.

A day before, on September 12 , a terrorist was gunned down while a soldier besides an army dog ‘Kent’ laid their lives in the line of duty and four security personnel, three soldiers and a special police officer, were injured during the encounter.

On September 11, Northern Army commander Lt General Dwivedi informed at the North Tech Symposium that nearly 200 terrorists were waiting across the LoC in Pakistan.

“They are waiting to infiltrate but our alert troops are deployed at the borders and we are trying to eliminate them there itself,” he had said.

In the past nine months, 47 terrorists have been killed in the region. At least 37 among them were foreign terrorists and nine were locals.

Since January this year, two border districts of Rajouri and Poonch have witnessed a spike in terrorism.

The twin border districts, south of Pir Panjal, witnessed three major terror attacks on January 1 at Dhangri, April 20 at Tota Gali in Poonch and May 5 in the Kandi forests of Rajouri.

In the three attacks, the terrorists killed 10 soldiers and seven members of the Hindu community.