SF launch operations to destroy militant hideouts in upper reaches in Kashmir

 Srinagar, Dec 1: Security forces have launched massive operations in the upper reaches to destroy hideouts which could be used by the militants during the winter when there is snow and cold, a senior police officer said.

         Rejecting reports that militants have strengthen their “ foothold” in the valley, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir Range, Muneer Ahmad Khan however, admitted that “footfall” of militants has increased.
         About the apprehension that militants hiding in the forest and other upper heights during summer would come down to lower areas when there is heavy snowfall and cold, Mr Khan said it is not necessary the militants will come down to villages.
       However, he said there are two possibilities. “One if they have hideouts where they can survive during the winter, they (militants) will prefer to remain there without taking risk of coming down”. Second, he said, if they will have no facility in these hideout and there is possibility of their death during the winter, they will come down to lower areas”.
         However, he said, once they will come down to any village, we will definitely come to know and go after them.
  The IGP said we have already launched operations to find out the militant hideouts, which could be used by them during winter, and destroy them. It was because of this reasons security forces launched a search operation at Sagipora top in Sopore in Baramulla district. We received a tip off about the hideout, he said adding when troops were moving towards the hideout, militants opened fire in which a soldier was injured. Since we had laid an ambush in the foothill, a militant was also killed when he tried to enter the nearby village, he added.
         He said similar operations to destroy the militant hideouts would continue in future also. The militants will not come down if they have good hideouts so we have decided to go after them in the upper reaches also, he said.
  Mr Khan said that it is not true that foothold of militants had strengthen in the valley. However, he admitted that footfall of militants has witnessed increase due to of late infiltration.
         We have information that a militant group has infiltrated into this side from Poonch sector in Jammu while some others have sneaked into this side from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) in our (Kashmir) side, the IGP said.
         He said majority of these militants belong to Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) group. It is because of this reason, we expect more encounters with JeM militants in the valley in future. UNI