The fierce gunbattle between security forces and militants near the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir entered the fifth day today and has already left three security force personnel and four ultras dead.
Reacting to the Poonch encounter Chief of Army Staff Deepak Kapoor has said that the army is trying to ensure that no army personnel is killed and that all terrorists are eliminated.
4 militants have been killed so far in the gunbattle that began on Thursday (Jan 1) evening. A junior officer, a jawan and a special police official have also lost their lives in the exchange of fire. Security forces have closed in on the building where 7-8 Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar militants are holed-up in the area.
Heavy gunfire is reportedly still being exchanged..with the militants hurling grenades, pika and firing from assault rifles making it only harder for security personnel to overpower them.Also among the militants are LeT commander Abu Omar and Jaish-e-Muhammed local commander Abu Dawood.
“The fierce gunbattle resumed this morning after a night-long break. Army and police have put a three-tier cordon and are zeroing in on the cave-type hideouts in Bhatidhar forests,” defence sources had earlier said.
Heavy fog and poor visibility are coming in the way of the security forces, they said, adding that “a major assault was launched in these strong cave-type hideouts to destroy them”.
Seven persons, including three security men – JCO subedar Rakesh Kumar, Naik P K Singh and Special Police Officer (SPO) Naresh Kumar — have lost their lives. Four militants have been killed but their bodies have not been recovered so far, northern command spokesman Col D K Kachari said.
Apart from Romeo Force’s 29th unit and 26 Rashtriya Rifles and Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police, authorities have rushed para units of special forces to the area besides some additional troops.
Security forces have closed in on the building where 7-8 Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar militants are holed-up. Heavy gunfire is reportedly still being exchanged with the militants hurling grenades, pika and firing from assault rifles, making it only harder for security personnel to overpower them.
Also among the militants are LeT commander Abu Omar and Jaish-e-Mohammed local commander Abu Dawood.
Meanwhile, police have arrested a retired Assistant Sub-Inspector Muzaffar Shah from Bhati Dhar for helping the militants in taking shelter in the area, police said, adding that Shah had retired in 2003.
During preliminary interrogation, he revealed that militants used caves for making solide bunkers over the past four years and large number of ultras from different groups have taken shelter there.
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