Two AK-47, M4 carbine rifles & grenades recovered from slain terrorists in J&K (Ld)

Jammu, Sep 9 (IANS) The Army on Monday recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition from the possession of two terrorists killed during an anti-infiltration operation on the Line of Control (LoC) in J&K’s Rajouri district.

Officials said that during the anti-infiltration operation in the Laam area of LoC’s Nowshera sector, two AK-47 rifles, one M4 carbine rifle with vision device, a pistol, eight grenades, assorted ammunition, personal clothing and edibles were recovered.

“In the nightlong operation, two terrorists were killed during this anti-infiltration operation in the area. Both slain terrorists were foreigners and further identity and affiliation are underway. Security forces are maintaining a heightened vigil and aerial platforms are being utilised to provide overwatch,” the Army said.

Eight Assembly segments spread across Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts in the Chenab valley region and 16 seats in the south Kashmir districts of Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam are going to polls in the first phase of elections on September 18.

Hilly districts of Poonch, Rajouri, Doda, Kathua, Reasi and Udhampur in the Jammu division have witnessed terrorist ambush attacks against the Army, security forces and civilians during the last over two months.

After reports that a group of hardcore foreign terrorists, believed to be 40 to 50 in number, are responsible for these attacks, the Army deployed over 4,000 trained soldiers drawn from the elite Para commandos and those trained in mountain warfare inside the densely forested areas of those districts.

Terrorists have used the element of surprise to carry out ambush attacks and then disappear into the forests of these hilly areas.

The deployment of the Army and the CRPF together with the strengthening of the village defence committees (VDCs) managed by residents, has deprived the terrorists of using the element of surprise to carry out such attacks.

After the security forces started aggressively going after the terrorists both in the Jammu division and the Kashmir Valley, the terrorists are now increasingly being engaged in exchange of firing with the security forces.

“They either get killed during such encounters or remain on the run. This prevents them from surprising the security forces by carrying out sly attacks,” a senior police officer said.