Search operation in Pahalgam forests continues for 6th day to track terrorists

Srinagar, Apr 28: The massive search operation continued on Monday against holed-up terrorists who were involved in the April 22 terror attack, in which 26 persons were killed and 17 others were injured at Baisaran area of Pahalgam, police said.
A senior police officer told Rising Kashmir that a massive search operation is under-way in the dense forests and technical equipment has been deployed to trace terrorists and monitor the search operation.
“So far, around 191 suspected have been detained for questioning to dismantle the support networks aiding terrorist activities,” he said.
The official said presently searches are underway in upper reaches of Pahalgam and Doda belts to track the terrorists that are taking shelter in densely forest areas. The op-eration entered its 6th day on Monday and no contact was established with the terror-ists.
“The forest belt is under a tight security cordon to neutralize the terrorists. The area is mountainous and the forest is dense, making the operation both difficult and danger-ous,” he said.
The official said that to further enhance security, additional Mobile Vehicle Check Points (MVCPs) have been established across the district to monitor suspicious move-ments and ensure public safety.
“Moreover, Cordon and Search Operations (CASOs), ambushes, and intensified patrol-ling have been launched, particularly in high-density forest areas, to flush out any pos-sible terrorist presence and secure the district,” he said.
The official said Police, along with partner security forces, remain committed to main-taining peace and thwarting any attempt to disrupt normalcy in the district.
“We urge the public to cooperate and request citizens to report any suspicious activi-ties to the nearest police establishment,” he said.
The official said drones and helicopters were pressed into service to assist the marching troops, which included para-commandos, in the jungle,” he said, adding that the entire forest belt is still under tight security cordon to track down the terrorists.
“Tracking terrorists in dense forests is a little bit challenging due to the dense foliage, limited visibility. We are using both aerial and sniffer dogs to track the terrorists,” he added.
The official said that there is nothing fresh now and the operation continues for the 6th straight day with good intensity,” he said, adding that the entire forest belt is still un-der tight security cordon to neutralise the terrorists.
“We are tracking the possible routes that terrorists might have used and who provided them accommodation. Some suspects who are living in adjacent areas including Pahal-gam tourist spot are being questioned regarding the same,” he said.
The police officials said extra forces were called on Monday to expand the cordon in the area and trace the hiding terrorists.
Meanwhile on Thursday, the Jammu and Kashmir Police identified two of the suspects as Pakistani nationals and have announced a reward of Rs 20 lakh for credible infor-mation leading to their arrest.
According to the notices made public by the Anantnag police, the suspects are: Hashim Musa alias Suleman, a citizen of Pakistan, Ali Bhai alias Talha Bhai, also a citizen of Pakistan and Abdul Hussain Thokar, a resident of Anantnag. All three are believed to be members of the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba.