Lagatar24 Desk
Srinagar, Oct.19: A long-running operation to flush out terrorists in the deep forests of Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district is now in its ninth day, making it one of India’s deadliest military battles in the region.
Since last Monday, nine troops have been slain in the line of duty, including two Junior Commissioned Officers or JCOs, combating these terrorists. No bodies have been found yet, so it’s unknown if any of the terrorists have been killed.
General MM Naravane, the Army chief, is on a two-day visit to the Jammu region, where he will see forward regions along the Line of Control where security forces are battling militants who, according to sources, are trained by Pakistan commandos.
Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to visit Jammu and Kashmir on Oct 22.
Despite a large combing effort, a tight cordon, and severe shelling, fighting in the 8-9 kilometre section of deep forest has continued.
According to army and local police sources, the fact that this cell of terrorists was able to inflict such massive deaths while eluding thousands of security forces for nine days indicates that they were trained by the Pakistani military.
