Jammu Oct 29 PTI The combing and search operation by the multi-grid security forces to clean up forests in Jammu and Kashmirs Poonch district of terrorists entered the 19th day on Friday with officials claiming it to be probably the longest exercise in many years An Army officer said there was no contact with terrorists in the last few days but efforts were on to track them down and clean up the belt of their presenceThe last contact with terrorists followed an encounter between terrorists and a joint search party on October 24A Pakistani terrorist who was shifted from the Kot Bhalwal Central Jail in Jammu to Mendhar on police remand for questioning in connection with the ongoing operation was killed when security force personnel accompanying him to identify a hideout came under fire from militantsThe anti-terror operation to clean up forests in the belt is on It is probably the longest-drawn operation in many many years the Army officer told PTIArmed with sophisticated weapons a large number of Army personnel and policemen are battling the threat of ambushes and IEDs to carry out cleaning up operations in dense forests valleys and cave hideoutsThe operation at Bhatti Durian in Mendhar along with Surankote forest in Poonch and Thanamandi in Rajouri continued for the 19th day to flush out a group of terrorists who attacked Army search parties on October 11 and 14 killing nine soldiers including two Junior Commissioned Officers JCOsOver a dozen people including two women were detained for questioning after it came to light that they had allegedly provided logistic support to the terrorists officials said adding during this operation four IEDs planted by terrorists were detected and defused safelyThe security forces also busted a hideout last week at the encounter site in Bhatti Durrian forest leading to the recovery of an assault rifle a magazine with 29 rounds two grenades and two detonators officials saidAlthough the combing operation was launched after the detection of suspicious movement two months ago the first contact with terrorists occurred on October 11 then again on October 14While a JCO and four security personnel laid down their lives in a gunfight during the counter-insurgency operation in Surankote forest of Poonch on October 11 four other soldiers including another JCO died in an encounter in Nar Khas forest in Mendhar on October 14After suffering nine casualties the Army has upped the ante against terrorists holed up in the jungles of Poonch in the Jammu region asking locals not to venture out of their homes and blocking main roads for a full-scale operation officials saidLast Tuesday Army Chief General M M Naravane visited forward areas along the Line of Control to review the ground situation and ongoing counter-infiltration operations in PoonchIn 2009 Poonch was the theatre of a nine-day operation and encounter with terrorists Four soldiers including a JCO lost their lives while four terrorists were killed in that encounterThe ongoing operation against militants holed up in the Pir Panjal ridges in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch is the longest in the area since 2003 officials saidIn April-May 2003 the Army had launched a massive combing search and destroy operation in Hill Kaka area of Surankote belt of Poonch district and killed 83 terrorists most of them foreign mercenaries PTI AB NSD NSD

Jammu Oct 19 PTI As the counter-insurgency operation in the forest belt of Jammu and Kashmirs twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri entered the ninth day on Tuesday public announcements were made in Mendhar asking local residents to stay indoors for their safety officials said The people were alerted through the public address system in local mosques in Bhatta Durrian and adjoining areas as the security forces were preparing a final assault against the terrorists believed to be hiding in the forest area of Mendhar in Poonch district the officials said They said the people were asked not to venture into the forest area and also keep their livestock at their homes in view of the ongoing operation Those who have gone outside were asked to return to their homes along with their animals the officials said While a Junior Commissioned Officer JCO and four other security personnel laid down their lives in a fierce gunfight during the start of the counter-insurgency operationin Surankote forest of Poonch on October 11 four other soldiers including another JCO lost their lives in another encounter in Nar Khas forest in Mendhar on Thursday evening after the security forces extended the cordon and search operation An encounter was on in the adjoining Thanamandi forest in Rajouri district on October 11 when the security forces confronted the fleeing militants who however managed to escape The entire forest belt is still under tight security cordon to neutralise the terrorists the officials said adding the area is mountainous and the forest is dense making theoperationdifficult and dangerous Eight suspected persons including a mother-son duo were detained for questioning from Bhatta Durrian in connection with providing logistic support to the terrorists However it is to be seen whether the support was given voluntarily or under duress the officials said Earlier on Saturday Deputy Inspector General of Police Rajouri-Poonch range Vivek Gupta said the presence of terrorists in the forest area connecting Poonch and Rajouri was observed two and a half months ago and accordingly tactical operations were launched to track them down The joint security grid was tracking different groups of terrorists but sometimes operationstake time depending on the topography of the area The contact with the terrorists was established on three occasions during the start of the operation based on the intelligence inputs the officer had said adding the terrorists are holed up and the joint forces are on the job to take the operation to the logical conclusion The army has already deployed para-commandos and a helicopter was also seen hovering over the forest area on Saturday for surveillance The traffic between Mendhar and Thanamandi along the Jammu-Rajouri highway remained suspended as a precautionary measure for the fifth day on Tuesday in the wake of the ongoing operation Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region have witnessed a rise in infiltration attempts since June this year resulting in the killing of nine terrorists in separate encounters PTI TASAB RT RT

As a search operation to track a group of terrorists continued in the Mendhar forests for the six consecutive day on Saturday, the Indian army confirmed the death of two more personnel, taking the overall toll to 9.  On Monday, the army had engaged a group of terrorists in Poonch and in the initial exchange of fire five […]