20 to 25 terrorists are still operating in the area
Jammu Tawi, Nov 24: Two AK-47 rifles, 10 magazines, ammunition, and other materials were recovered from terrorists who were gunned down in an encounter with security forces on Thursday.
The encounter broke out between terrorists and a joint team of the Army and the Jammu and Kashmir Police in the Bajimaal area of Dharamsla in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district.
While the forces suffered five casualties on its side, two terrorists, including a top LeT (Lashkar-e-Toiba) commander and sniper, identified as Quari, were also neutralised on Thursday.
Quari is believed to have orchestrated several attacks, including the Dangri incident, where six innocent civilians lost their lives on January 23, and the Kandi attacks in Rajouri's Poonch areas. His elimination marks a significant blow to the revival of terrorism in these districts, according to an army official.
Northern Command Army Commander Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi said on Friday that terrorists killed in the Rajouri encounter seem to have been trained in Afghanistan and other countries.
“The killing of terrorists in the Rajouri encounter was a major setback to “terrorism and its eco-system” in the Rajouri-Poonch area, and the killed terrorists seem to be highly trained in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and other countries,” the Army Commander said, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a wreath-laying ceremony here for soldiers, including two captains martyred in Rajouri.
He said that the supreme sacrifices made by five army soldiers, including two captains, have raised the morale of the troops, and all are committed to eliminating the terrorists from J&K soil.
On the presence of terrorists active in the Rajouri-Poonch range, Lt Gen Dwivedi said that the killing of two highly trained terrorists has resulted in a major setback to terror and its ecosystem in the region, but the number of active terrorists operating in the area may vary as Poonch and Rajouri are connected with the highway.
“At least 20 to 25 terrorists are still operating in the area, but with the active support of police and human intelligence, we will be able to root out the terrorism soon in the region,” he said.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and DGP R R Swain also paid floral tributes to the fallen soldiers.
