Two combing operations — one in Budgam and another in Kupwara district — are underway to trace militants who exchanged fire briefly with the joint forces.

The combing operation at Kawoosa, Budgam, resumed on Tuesday morning after it was put on hold last night due to the darkness.

“The operation is still on,” a senior police officer said. The militants and joint forces exchanged fire on Monday evening when the joint forces launched an operation in the area following an input about the presence of militants.

“After the initial contact, there has been no fresh firing and we suspect the militants are still hiding in the area,” the officer said.

Another massive combing operation in Kupwara entered its fourth day on Tuesday. A contact between the militants and joint forces occurred on Saturday afternoon in the upper reaches of Warnow forests and since then there has been no fresh exchange of fire.

“The combing operation in the vast forest area is on and more neigbouring areas have been included in the search operation,” Ambarkar Shriram Dinkar, SSP, Kupwara, said.

On Saturday, based on a specific input regarding the presence of militants in the Dana Behak Hemli top of Warnow, a joint operation was launched by the police and 28 Rashtriya Rifles.

“During the search operation, the terrorists who were hiding there fired on the search party leading to an encounter. So far, some incriminating materials and arms and ammunition, including one M-4 rifle and two rucksacks have been recovered, ” a police spokesman said.

Meanwhile, the J&K Police have arrested three militant associates of the Lashkar-e-Toiba who had hoisted Pakistani flags at Hajin in Bandipora district.

Courtesy : Daily Tribune:  8thSeptember, 2020