Search operations in 10 Shopian villages

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 19

Almost a week after the killing of a Hizbul Mujahideen commander in Shopian, security forces carried out combing and search operations in at least 10 villages in the district to flush out militants.

The cluster of villages that were searched on Saturday included Chakoora, Mantribug, Zaipora, Pratabpora, Takipora , Ranipora, Ratnipora, Dangam and Wangam. The joint teams of the Army, the police and the CRPF cordoned off these villages in the wee hours and house-to-house searches were carried to locate the militants.

The villages that were searches in Shopian are bordering neighbouring Kulgam district and are considered the hotbed of the local militancy.

However, neither any one was arrested nor any contact with militants was established during the nearly seven-hour long searches.

“The searches were carried today in the villages which have been militant strongholds,” Superintendent of Police, Shopian, Ambarkar Shriram Dinka said. “There was no stone-throwing during the entire operation,” he said.

On August 13, three militants, including Hizb operation chief Yasin Yatoo, alias Mehmood Ghaznavi, were killed in a gunfight in Shopian. It was the first militant causality in the district this year. Eight Army personnel, including two officers, have been killed by militants in Shopian this year.

Since the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani in July last year, militants have consolidated themselves in Shopian and they have been frequently releasing videos on the social media.

The SP said the militants in district would be neutralised as the forces were carrying out regular anti-militancy operations.