Jammu: Eighteen militants, including 14 Pakistanis, were shot dead on April 22 in
two separate encounters in the border sensitive areas of Poonch and Rajouri in
stepped up anti-militancy drive by the Army in Jammu and Kashmir.
While 14 Pakistani mercenaries were shot dead in a gun battle in the Hill Kaka
forests of Surankote area in Poonch district, four Lashkar-e-Taiba ultras were
killed in Rajouri district.
Acting on specific information that a large group of militants was operating in the
Kaka forests, the troops launched an offensive in the wee hours, laying a siege
around the entire forest belt, the troops conducted searches to track the militants.
However, they hurled grenades and fired from AK type rifles on the soldiers.
As the soldiers returned the fire, 14 militants were killed. One jawan was also
injured and has been hospitalised, the sources said and added four AK rifles, nine
magazines, 210 rounds, three hand grenades, seven IEDs (improvised explosive
devices) and a wireless set were recovered from them.
Around 93 per cent of militancy in Surankote belt is dominated by foreign
mercenaries most of them Pakistani nationals.
"This is the biggest number of militants killed in a single operation by security
forces or police in the Rajouri- Poonch belt," the sources said.
In 1999, nine militants were killed in Mora Bachie area of Surankote in Jammu
division, they added.
PTI
