Srinagar, 30 Jan 2022. In last 24 hours, the Security Forces have eliminated five militant in two separate operations in South Kashmir.
On receiving specific intelligence of likely presence of two-three unidentified militant in Nyir area of Pulwama on 29 January 2022, a cordon and search operation. was launched by Pulwama Rashtriya Rifles Battalion and JKP. Initially, the cordon was laid around 20 houses, but as further intelligence was developed, a target house was identified. While the search was in progress at 07:50 PM, contact was established with militant, when they opened fire on own troops.
Security Forces on being fired upon immediately began evacuating the civilians present in and around the target house and occupied dominating positions around the house to block escape routes of the militant. Around midnight on 30 January 2022, security forces commenced probing actions to draw fire and ascertain the exact location of hiding militant. The militant retaliated with heavy automatic fire from two different locations and three militant were effectively engaged and eliminated in exchange of fire by own troops.
A fourth terrorist opened indiscriminate fire on own troops and injured two Garud soldiers, they were evacuated to Base Hospital, Badami Bagh Cantonment and are stable. The terrorist was finally eliminated by 5 AM.
In the second operation, Budgam Rashtriya Rifles Battalion alongwith JKP launched a cordon and search operation in the general area of Village Tilsar in Budgam district. The operation was launched at 09.30 PM on 29 January 2022, targeting specific cluster of houses on the fringe of Village Tilsar. At around 10:30 PM while the parties were searching the area after laying the cordon, the terrorist opened heavy fire on own troops from a shed resulting in a fierce encounter. By morning the Security Forces successfully neutralised the hiding terrorist.
As per JK Police, one Pakistani terrorist and a self-styled JeM Commander of South Kashmir, Zahid Manzoor Wani, resident of Karimabad, Pulwama were among the neutralised militant. Zahid was an IED expert and longest surviving JeM terrorist in the valley. He was active in the area since 23 May 2017 and was responsible for masterminding many IED attacks on Security Forces. He was also responsible for misleading and recruiting as many as 20 innocent youth in the last few years. War like stores were recovered from the encounter sites.
In a string of successful operations by the Security Forces since December 2021, 41 militant have been eliminated. This includes nine Pakistani militant who were armed with sophisticated weapons.
