JAMMU: Security forces are scouring the rugged terrain and forest of Keshwan and adjoining areas in J&K’s Kishtwar district with the assistance of helicopters, drones and military dogs in a seek-and-kill operation against three to four Pakistani terrorists responsible for killing a junior commissioned officer (JCO) Sunday and two village defence guards four days ago.
On Monday, the mortal remains of Naib Subedar Rakesh Kumar posted with 2 Para Special Forces were brought to his native village — Barnog in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. The 42-year-old JCO is survived by his wife, a daughter and a son. The cremation will take place Tuesday.
Three other soldiers were wounded in the shootout that broke out when the forces were pursuing terrorists who abducted and murdered VDGs Nazir Ahmed, 42, and Kuldeep Kumar, 40. Kashmir Tigers, a shadow group of Pakistan-backed terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), has claimed responsibility for the killings.
“An intensified search is underway in the dense forests of Kishtwar district. There has been no fresh contact with the terrorists since Sunday,” an official said. The remote landscape, dotted with deep gorges, thick woods, mountain caves, and other natural hideouts, provides ample cover for terrorists operating in small groups. “Three to four terrorists are still holed up in the area,” the official said.
Additional forces from Bharat Ridge side of Doda district have been deployed to strengthen the cordon. Bharat Ridge connects the upper reaches of Kuntwara and Keshwan forests in Kishtwar with Dessa area of Doda district and leans towards the upper reaches of Kapran in Anantnag district of Kashmir valley. Terrorists have used this route to move to Kashmir undetected after crossing the border with Pakistan in Jammu zone.
A similar search operation is continuing on the outskirts of Srinagar after security forces engaged Sunday with terrorists in the forests of Ishbar — the picturesque foothills of Zabarwan range extending from Chashme Shahi to Nishat Bagh. This stretch has several high-security buildings such as the Raj Bhavan and military camps. “The manhunt is ongoing,” a police officer said Monday.