Express News Service
SRINAGAR: Ahead of the G-20 tourism meeting in Srinagar later this month, the militancy violence has suddenly witnessed a surge in Jammu and Kashmir with the UT witnessing five militancy-related incidents within the span of four days. A massive combing and search operation by security forces is going on in Rajouri forests to track down a group of militants involved in twin attacks.
There have been five encounters between militants and security forces in J&K since May 3. Of the five encounters, two took place within Kashmir, one at the Line of Control (LoC) in the Valley and two in the dense Kandi forest area of the border district of Rajouri in the Jammu region. Before May, only three encounters had taken place in the Valley in the first four months of 2023 during which four militants were killed. In May, twin encounters (May 3 and May 6) took place in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, in which three local Lashkar militants were killed.
It was the first encounter between militants and security forces in north Kashmir this year. After the twin encounters, the security arrangements have been tightened in north Kashmir, especially in the ski resort of Gulmarg, where the foreign delegates are likely to visit during the G-20 meeting in Srinagar from May 22-24.
On May 3, the Army also foiled an infiltration bid of militants at the Line of Control (LoC) in the Machil sector of Kupwara. On May 5, an encounter took place between a group of hiding militants and army men engaged in a massive combing operation in the Kandi forest area of Rajouri. During the encounter, militants triggered a powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion killing five soldiers and critically injuring a Major.
A day after the blast, army men during the search operation in the Kandi forest area killed a militant while another was injured. More reinforcements have been rushed to the forest area to assist the army, police and paramilitary personnel during the ongoing massive combing operation to track down the militants. Army has been using drones and helicopters during the search operation to track the movement of militants while the specially trained para troopers are also assisting the security men on the ground in the anti-militancy operation.
Police officials said the forces were alert to thwart any possible plan of militants to carry out attacks in the run-up to the event. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Baramulla Amod Ashok Nagpure said the intelligence grid was working very hard and the forces have been able to neutralize the threats.
“Our forces are on alert for the summit. Our intelligence agencies are also working hard, our network is very strong. So, we are getting timely information of all the suspicious activities in the area,’ Nagpure said.He said the security agencies are confident that the summit will pass off peacefully and successfully ‘because of our preparedness’. The SSP said the security forces have been able to neutralize the threats as there is a complete synergy among various agencies. The holding of the G-20 meeting in Srinagar from May 22-24 assumes significance as it is the first major international meeting to be held in Kashmir Post abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A by the Centre on August 5, 2019.
Meanwhile, security forces on Sunday recovered an IED in the Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said. Based on questioning of terrorist associate Ishfaq Ahmad Wani, security forces recovered the 5 kg IED at Arigam on the Pulwama-Shopian road, they said.
With inputs from agencies
SRINAGAR: Ahead of the G-20 tourism meeting in Srinagar later this month, the militancy violence has suddenly witnessed a surge in Jammu and Kashmir with the UT witnessing five militancy-related incidents within the span of four days. A massive combing and search operation by security forces is going on in Rajouri forests to track down a group of militants involved in twin attacks.
There have been five encounters between militants and security forces in J&K since May 3. Of the five encounters, two took place within Kashmir, one at the Line of Control (LoC) in the Valley and two in the dense Kandi forest area of the border district of Rajouri in the Jammu region. Before May, only three encounters had taken place in the Valley in the first four months of 2023 during which four militants were killed. In May, twin encounters (May 3 and May 6) took place in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, in which three local Lashkar militants were killed.
It was the first encounter between militants and security forces in north Kashmir this year. After the twin encounters, the security arrangements have been tightened in north Kashmir, especially in the ski resort of Gulmarg, where the foreign delegates are likely to visit during the G-20 meeting in Srinagar from May 22-24. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
On May 3, the Army also foiled an infiltration bid of militants at the Line of Control (LoC) in the Machil sector of Kupwara. On May 5, an encounter took place between a group of hiding militants and army men engaged in a massive combing operation in the Kandi forest area of Rajouri. During the encounter, militants triggered a powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion killing five soldiers and critically injuring a Major.
A day after the blast, army men during the search operation in the Kandi forest area killed a militant while another was injured. More reinforcements have been rushed to the forest area to assist the army, police and paramilitary personnel during the ongoing massive combing operation to track down the militants. Army has been using drones and helicopters during the search operation to track the movement of militants while the specially trained para troopers are also assisting the security men on the ground in the anti-militancy operation.
Police officials said the forces were alert to thwart any possible plan of militants to carry out attacks in the
run-up to the event. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Baramulla Amod Ashok Nagpure said the intelligence grid was working very hard and the forces have been able to neutralize the threats.
“Our forces are on alert for the summit. Our intelligence agencies are also working hard, our network is very strong. So, we are getting timely information of all the suspicious activities in the area,’ Nagpure said.
He said the security agencies are confident that the summit will pass off peacefully and successfully ‘because of our preparedness’. The SSP said the security forces have been able to neutralize the threats as there is a complete synergy among various agencies. The holding of the G-20 meeting in Srinagar from May 22-24 assumes significance as it is the first major international meeting to be held in Kashmir Post abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A by the Centre on August 5, 2019.
Meanwhile, security forces on Sunday recovered an IED in the Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said. Based on questioning of terrorist associate Ishfaq Ahmad Wani, security forces recovered the 5 kg IED at Arigam on the Pulwama-Shopian road, they said.
With inputs from agencies
