Srinagar, Aug 9: The longest anti-terrorist operation in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) in the last two decades entered its 9th day on Saturday and the Indian Army said intense firing and explosions continued throughout the night in Akhal Devsar forest of Kulgam district.

An Army spokesperson said on Saturday, “Kulgam encounter enters day 9; intense explosions and firing reported throughout the night. Some developments have taken place in the operation and will be shared once confirmed.”

DGP Nalin Prabhat has been supervising the operation in close synergy with the Army and the CRPF. He visited the area for the 5th time on Friday.

Joint forces, including the Indian Army, CRPF and J&K Police had started CASO (Cordon & Search Operations) in the area on last Friday.

One terrorist was killed and seven Army soldiers were injured in the initial exchange of gunfire between the terrorists and the joint forces.

The slain terrorist was identified as a local. The injured soldiers were evacuated to hospital for treatment.

The Army has deployed Rudra helicopters, drones and Para commandos to ensure that the hiding terrorists are unable to escape.

Security forces have been carrying out aggressive operations against the terrorists in the hinterland while the Army has been on maximum alert guarding the Line of Control (LoC) in J&K.

The elimination of three hardcore Pakistani terrorists responsible for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed, is part of the aggressive operations being carried out by the joint forces.

Three hardcore Pakistani terrorists including LeT commander, Suleman Shah and his two associates Abu Hamza and Jibran Bhai responsible for Pahalgam attack were killed on July 28 in the higher reaches of Dachigam national park on the foot of Mahadev mountain peak in Harwan area of Srinagar.

The Army code named this operation as ‘Operation Mahadev’.

After the Pahalgam terror attack, the security forces are carrying out anti-terrorist operations against gun wielding terrorists, their over ground workers and sympathisers.

Drug smugglers and drug peddlers are also on the radar of the security forces because it is believed that the funds generated by hawala money racket and drug smuggling are finally used to sustain terrorism in J&K.

The coordinated and Intelligence-backed operations of the joint forces are aimed at dismantling the ecosystem of terrorism in J&K rather than focussing on just the elimination of the gun-wielding terrorists.

(IANS)

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