Shyam Sood
Rajouri, Oct 26: Security Forces (SFs) on Tuesday on the 16th day of ongoing Counter-Terrorist Operation (CTO) were expecting achievement against a group of terrorists hiding in the Nar Khas forested area in Mendhar tehsil in Poonch, but no contact could be established today.
However, during ongoing intensive searches security forces have busted a few natural cave hideouts and recovered one AK-47 rifle (under fold) along with a magazine and 29 rounds; 2 grenades, 4 biscuit packets, clothes, blankets, 2 pairs of shoes, Tiffin, 2 detonators and 2 syringes.
The entire area in Bhata Dhurian belt is in the cordon of Security since October 14 when contact with the terrorists was established in Nar Khas forest area and during the firefight, a JCO & three soldiers had attained martyrdom.
On Tuesday Security Forces in an action against the hiding terrorists were expecting the elimination of the terrorists but no contact was established.
The recovery was made from the hideout, which, along with a few other natural hideouts was destroyed by the Army during last few days & might have been used by the present group as well as by the terrorists in the past.
On Sunday during the search of the hiding place of the terrorists with the help of a Pakistani terrorist Zia Mustafa, the terrorists had opened fire in which Mustafa was killed while two cops and a soldier received injuries.
Following the identification of terrorist’s hiding place after the killing of Mustafa, Security Forces have sealed every escaping route.
A group of reportedly 5-6 terrorists is hiding in the area after the October 14 contact and firefight in which a JCO and three soldiers had attained martyrdom.
The CTO was launched on October 11, in Shahadra (Rajouri) and adjoining DKG (Poonch) areas, and in the first contact, a JCO and four soldiers had attained martyrdom in a forest near Chamrer village.
An FIR was lodged at the Gursai police station after October 14 encounter in which a JCO and three soldiers had attained martyrdom and the name of Zia Mustafa also figured in the FIR.
Mustafa was arrested in 2003 in Shopian and was in Kot Bhalwal Central jail in Jammu where he was in contact with LeT handlers across the LoC and with terrorists in the Nar Khas forested area.
The Poonch district police approached a court at Shopian for the custody of Zia Mustafa for further interrogation in the ongoing CTO at Nar Khas.
