Recalibrated strategy, targeted focused area to neutralise 6 terrorists in 48 hours: Officials

With security forces eliminating six militants this week, joint forces said on Friday that the neutralisation of these ultras in south Kashmir is a major setback to the militant outfits they were affiliated with.

On Thursday, three militants, including a top commander affiliated with the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), were killed in a gunfight with security forces in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. Earlier on Tuesday, an encounter took place in the nearby Shopian district, in which three Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants were killed. Top LeT commander Shahid Kuttay was among those slain.

Addressing a press briefing, officers from the joint forces — J&K Police, Army and CRPF — explained how the two operations were carried out and termed them a major success for the security forces.

Kashmir Inspector General of Police, Vidhi Kumar Birdi, said in response to the terrorist activities that have been ongoing in the Valley for the past month, the security forces “have re-implemented their strategies.”

“Our very intensified focus was on conducting this operation. And with this intensified focus and mutual coordination, we have carried out two successful operations here in the last 48 hours, in which we have achieved a very significant achievement,” he said.

Elaborating on the two operations, General Officer Commanding of the Army’s Victor Force, Major General Dhananjay Joshi, said that following the Pahalgam attack last month, the security forces had designated a “focus area”, which would be targeted “in a focused way.”

“On the night of the 12th, in the area of Shopian, we received input that a terrorist group could be there. He said the operation took place in the higher reaches, in a very elevated area, and the three militants were neutralised.

He added that the second operation, which occurred in the Tral area, was on very different terrain, as it was in a village. “We got the input that a terrorist group had settled at the village for some time. And immediately it was cordoned off,” he said. “When it was cordoned off, the terrorists took positions in different houses and tried to fire.”