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Jammu: Operation "Sarp Vinash", launched in Hillkaka area in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district in April to flush out militants would continue, a senior Army officer said on May 31.

"We have killed 63 ultras and recovered a huge quantity of arms and explosives during the operation in Surankote tehsil," lieutenant general T P S Brar told reporters at Nagrota, some 12 kms from Jammu.

He said the operation was necessitated as Hillkaka area had become a transit route for militants between the line of control (LoC) and Poonch and Doda districts.

Militants had also set up communication centres there, lieutenant general Brar said.

He said Army had done a lot of planning on the basis of intelligence reports before launching the operation.

Helipads were built in the area for landing of choppers for logistic support, he said.

Replying to a question on the use of MI-17 choppers as gunships to block militant hideouts, lieutenant general Brar said reports in this regard were incorrect.

He however, added only one Chetak helicopter fitted with machine gun was used by Army during the operation.

"If groups of ultras are present anywhere, we launch operation to track them down," he said, adding there were no reports that command centres or control centres of ultras existed anywhere.

PTI