Jammu: Is the army operation in Poonch, where terrorists have built bunkers and held Indian forces at bay for nearly a week, turning out to be a mini Kargil?

According to military sources, the infiltration in the area is not as big as the one seen in 1999 at Kargil, but the ongoing military operation, which entered the sixth day on Tuesday, is a sign of the coming challenges this winter. The operation can theoretically be repeated elsewhere, as about 800 terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir may have withdrawn to the hilltops to spend the winter in safety.

The security forces have formed a three-tier security ring around the operational area in the Mendher sector of Poonch in Jammu, where three security personnel and up to four terrorists had been killed in the operations till Tuesday evening. The Romeo Force of Rashtriya Rifles has deployed several of its units in the area. The army's Special Forces and the Kashmir polices special operations group, an anti-terrorist arm, have also joined the operation.

The army is carrying out an aerial recce to locate the remaining terrorists. There has been no firing since Tuesday morning, but at least 10 terrorists are believed to be hiding in the area. The operation started on December 31 night.

The worry is clear: despite a heavy build-up, the troops have not yet been able to neutralise the terrorists. Army sources said they had surrounded an area of about 12 square miles where the terrorists were believed to be hiding.

More skirmishes likely along LoC
Indian troops have been battling terrorists along the LoC to scuttle a infiltration bid for the past eight days. The hilly terrain and thick foliage are providing easy cover to the terrorists, some of whom have been killed.

So far the security forces have come across bunkers erected in the operational area where the terrorists had stored food items, religious literature and other items.

Several army sources insist that the standoff at Mendher is by no means the biggest challenge they have seen in Kashmir so far. The army had to carry out a limited war in Kargil in 1999 after militants occupied the heights in winter. In 2002,air force fighters were pressed into operation in the Gurez sector to clean out the militants.

In the summer of 2003,the territory covered by the Romeo Force had seen another instance of militants occupying a massive spread of places in the upper reaches of the mountains. In the operation that went on for several weeks, the army killed over 60 terrorists and seized huge amounts of arms and ammunition, among other items. "

"This (the Poonch operation) is nothing in comparison to Operation Sarp Vinash (the 2003 operation)," says a senior Army officer.

However, the coming days could witness several long standoff's between the military and militants as the army moves up the hills to take on those holed up there. In winter, many of the militants in the state tend to move up the mountains to dig into safe patches before they can return in summer. The army estimates that there are over 800 terrorists in J and K, of whom 60% are foreigners. They will be carrying out such "jungle bashing" operations in the higher hills over the next few weeks.

 

Source : Central