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New Delhi: Evidence about the running of small training camps for militants has been found in Hillkaka region of Surankote district in Jammu region during the recent six-week long operation "Sarp Vinash" by the Army.

The fears of intelligence agencies, which had been warning of presence of these camps since last year, came true when dummies and target shooting equipments were recovered by the Special Group-III of the state police during the operation, official sources said.

According to a report with the Home Ministry, these camps had been running since early last year when presence of troops at the border and line of control (LoC) increased after the December 13 Parliament attack.

During the operation, small training camps were found in Sukhiban, Mandi and Wansi forests in the Hillkaka region, where boys from Kashmir and adjoining areas of Poonch and Rajouri were trained by the Pakistan-based militants.

The intelligence agencies had given information about presence of these camps in the region in June 2002, the sources quoted the report as saying.

The report quoted a specific intelligence input of February-March 2003, whereby information was shared with the Army about arrival of General Mossa, commander of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), at Hillkaka to train a group of 150 boys hailing from South Kashmir.

However, the operation was deferred due to heavy snow and bad weather.

The report quoted another specific information about gathering of large number of terrorists at Poshana Dhoke, opposite the Suran river.

During the operation, the Army authorities also recovered a full-fledged medical first aid set at Sinhali Dhoke and Lalpur Dhoke on Nainsukh Hill, a part of Hillkaka.

Earlier, some of the Kashmiri boys rescued by Special Group-III of the local police had revealed that besides being imparted with arms training, they were made to carry heavy loads of Pakistani and Afghani militants and washing utensils while they were not being fed well.

No big bunkers were found during the operation expect one in Banawali near Hillkaka and that too was only equipped to save the militants from harsh winter.

PTI