Three months after the Pahalgam Attack, the army is working overtime to ensure the safety of the tourists and the terrorists don’t get a chance to settle in the dense forests and mountain ranges of Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the top army sources, night operations have been increased so that the terrorists can’t move around nor rest at one place. Earlier operations used to resume at dawn and suspend at sunset.
One of such search operation at 26th June, during the night led to a joint party of the police and security forces to establish contact with a group of terrorists in Basantgarh area of Udhampur. This operation results in the killing of the top terrorist commander of the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad. Identified as Haider, codenamed Maulvi from Pakistan, he was active in the area for the last four years.
Security forces have made it a point to occupy the higher ground in the Pir Panjal range. The Higher rank army officer gave statement that recently a group of terrorists who were moving upward towards a ridge in the Chatroo area of Kishtwar caught off guard by the army. They were dominating the strategic mountain heights.
The other side of the ridge, on the way to south Kashmir, militants were attacked by the terrorists and retaliated by hurling a grenade. Two terrorists were killed in the morning of May 22.
Maximum 50 groups of terrorists that are mostly Pakistani nationals, are still active in areas falling on the South of Pir Panjal range in Jammu province. Due to progression of Counter- terrorists operation, areas like Rajouri and Poonch districts are in control along with hinterland areas of Reasi, Doda, Kishtwar, Udhampur and Kathua districts.
