• Security intensified in entire region: Police
• CRPF, senior officers attended wreath-laying ceremony
Srinagar, Aug 20: The massive anti-terrorist operation is underway between security forces and terrorists in the higher reaches of Basantgarh in Udhampur district for the second day. While no contact was established with terrorists, officials on Tuesday said.
A Police officer said that on the evening of August 20, in a brief exchange of fire with terrorists in which one CRPF inspector was killed. An extensive search operation was going on in the Basantgarh area, he said.
“It is the same force who were spotted in remote areas of Dudu Basantgarh area. We are intensifying the operation and hopeful that hiding terrorists will be neutralized soon, he said.
The officer said that the operation against hiding terrorists is underway. There is nothing fresh now and it continues with good intensity,” he said, adding that the entire forest belt is still under tight security cordon to neutralise the terrorists.
“The area is mountainous and the forest is dense, making the operation difficult and dangerous. Security has been tightened, with ‘Naka’ checking and rigorous vehicle inspections implemented across the region,” he added.
According to sources, contact has not been established with 3 to 4 terrorists hiding in the dense forests. Following this the area was cordoned off and a manhunt was launched by the security forces.
Meanwhile CRPF Tuesday paid tributes to inspector Kuldeep Kumar, who died in an ambush by terrorists in Udhampur district.
A wreath-laying ceremony was held at the headquarters of the 187th battalion of CRPF in Battal Ballian of the district in which Additional Director General CRPF Amrit Mohan Prasad and other senior officers of various forces paid tributes to Kumar.
Several officers of civil administration, army and police also paid tributes to the officer. His mortal remains have been sent to his native place in Haryana.
Kumar was killed when terrorists opened fire on a patrol party in remote area of Cheel-Dudu area of Udhampur district on Monday.
Earlier on Aug 19, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) inspector was killed in an ongoing encounter with a group of terrorists in Dudu Basantgarh area of Udhampur district in Jammu region.
The deceased CRPF Inspector has been identified as Inspector Kuldeep Kumar as terrorists attacked the patrol party in higher reaches of Udhampur forests.
A police officer told Rising Kashmir that during area domination patrol at Chill, Dudu, exchange of fire took place between terrorists and joint parties of JKP and CRPF.
Meanwhile attack is the latest in a string of encounters in the past few months wherein security personnel have lost their lives, particularly in Jammu division.
On August 14, an army officer, Captain Deepak Singh, was killed in action after an encounter broke out in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda. A civilian was also injured in the incident.
The officer suffered gunshot wounds in a forested area during a cordon-and-search operation in the Shivgarh-Assar belt of Doda.
On August 10, two soldiers and a civilian were killed in a gunfight between terrorists and security forces in Anantnag.
