What Happened in the Forests of J&K’s Kishtwar After Terrorists Engaged Security Forces?
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Jammu, Nov 5 (NationPress) An encounter unfolded on Wednesday in the forested regions of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district between security forces and terrorists.
According to officials, based on precise intelligence, a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) was initiated by security personnel in the Kalaban forest area of Chatroo sub-division on Tuesday evening.
As security forces advanced towards the concealed terrorists, the militants opened fire on the nearby personnel, igniting an ongoing encounter. Further updates are anticipated,” officials stated.
The J&K Police, in collaboration with security forces, have launched intensified anti-terror operations aimed at dismantling not just the armed terrorists but also their overground workers (OGWs) and sympathizers.
This strategic shift is focused on eradicating the entire terror ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir, rather than merely targeting the terrorists wielding firearms.
Security forces are also scrutinizing drug traffickers, peddlers, and individuals linked to hawala money schemes, as it is believed that the proceeds from these illegal activities ultimately support terrorism in the Union Territory.
Following the April 22 terror attack in Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam by Pakistan-backed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists, aggressive operations commenced in J&K.
In that attack, twenty-six civilians, including 25 tourists and one local pony owner, lost their lives, which sparked nationwide outrage and prompted the Armed Forces to launch Operation Sindoor targeting the terror infrastructure in Pakistan.
With a 740-km-long Line of Control (LoC) and a 240-km-long International Border, the army secures the LoC, while the Border Security Force (BSF) oversees the IB.
Both the Army and the BSF are deployed to thwart infiltration or exfiltration, as well as to counter the threat posed by drones transporting arms, ammunition, drugs, and cash to terrorists, while local police and security forces conduct anti-terrorism operations in the hinterland.
The LoC extends through the Baramulla, Kupwara, and Bandipora districts of the Valley, and partially through Jammu district, while the IB runs through Jammu, Samba, and Kathua districts of the Jammu division.