A joint anti-terror operation by Indian Army’s Rashtriya Rifles, J&K Police and CRPF has been launched in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir. Total 20 villages have been cordoned off early this morning in the joint operation. The operation comes after recent incidents of bank heists and rifle snatching in South Kashmir. A house to house search is running currently.
On Wednesday night, suspected terrorists barged into a police post guarding the court complex of southern Shopian, and decamped with 5 service rifles. The terrorists also took away one AK-47 and four.
Superintendent of police in Pulwama Rayees Mohammed Bhat said preliminary investigation had established the involvement of terror group organization Lashkar-e-Taiba in the bank loot incidents. He said, “Until now, we have identified one militant each from Khagpura and Padgampora, which proves Lashkar’s involvement in that incident”. He also added, “It is clear that terrorist organizations are now using more advanced technological gadgets. We are continuing the investigation”.
People are saying that the move could be based on information with the J&K Police. It could also be a larger move by security personnel to assert its authority, given the recent number of incidents of violence. On Monday, five policemen and two private guards of a Jammu Kashmir bank were killed by the militants. And the next day’s night, militants had snatched 5 rifles from Jammu and Kashmir policemen who were deployed at a district court complex. Officials are saying that they had received inputs about the presence of militants at Sahib Village and fearing protests and stone pelting violence. This is the first major operation that has been launched in Kashmir after the killing of Burhan Wani’s Commander, Hizbul Mujahedeen last July.
More than 3,000 personnel of the Army, CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir police are involved in the operation and almost two dozen villages and forest areas are being searched. A large number of videos surfaced recently, showing large groups of heavily-armed terrorists marching in the forest and orchards of Shopian in south Kashmir. Around 100 local men are suspected to have joined militancy after the unrest triggered by the killing of Burhan Wani In last few days, terrorists have taken away total nine rifles after attacking the J&K police in Kulgam and Shopian. And three banks were also robbed in the same area.
It is very clear that amid intense unrest and a police clampdown in Jammu-Kashmir, desperate militants have found to terrorize Jammu & Kashmir and fund their activities: stealing money from ATMs and banks and looting guns from security personnel.
