Daijiworld Media Network – Srinagar
Srinagar, Feb 5: Three Pakistani terrorists belonging to the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), including a top commander, were killed in two separate encounters with security forces in forest areas of Udhampur and Kishtwar districts in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday.
Two of the terrorists were eliminated in a drone-assisted operation in the Jaffer forest area of Udhampur district. The operation was carried out a day ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir to review the security situation in the Union Territory.
A fresh encounter also broke out in the Dichhar area of the Chatroo forest region in Kishtwar district, where one terrorist was killed. The anti-terror operation in the dense forest area is still underway, a Jammu-based defence spokesperson said.
“The army, police and CRPF are continuing a massive search operation in the Chatroo, Singhpora and Chingum areas of Kishtwar,” the spokesperson said. The search follows an encounter on January 18 in which a para commando was killed and eight other security personnel were injured.
Security forces believe a group of two to three Jaish terrorists, including a senior commander, had been hiding in the dense forest region. Troops have been using drones, UAVs and other surveillance equipment to track the militants, who are suspected to be trained in jungle warfare.
According to officials, the two Jaish terrorists killed in Udhampur were hiding inside a natural cave in the Jaffer forest area after escaping from a brief encounter on Tuesday afternoon.
“Drones and UAVs captured the movement of the terrorists, who were later spotted taking shelter in a cave,” an official said. When the terrorists attempted to flee, security forces opened fire, forcing them back into the cave, where they were neutralised in a coordinated assault.
One of the slain militants has been identified as Abu Muvaya, a top Jaish commander who was being actively hunted by security forces. Video footage of the terrorists being spotted near the cave has since gone viral on social media.
Security forces have intensified a winter offensive across the upper reaches of Kathua, Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur, Doda and Kishtwar districts following the onset of winter, aiming to track down terrorists attempting to take shelter in forested areas.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to arrive in Jammu on Thursday evening. On February 6, he will visit the International Border at Hiranagar in Kathua district, where Border Security Force officials will brief him on measures being taken to prevent cross-border infiltration, officials said.