Srinagar: A group of terrorists have been trapped by the army’s Para commandos and the Rashtriya Rifles in J&K’s Budgam district on Thursday during a CASO (Cordon & Search Operation) after intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists in the district.
Top sources told IANS that, after receiving specific inputs about the presence of terrorists in the Yusmarg highland meadow area of Budgam, 10 Para Commandos patrolling the higher reaches of Yusmarg established contact (exchange of gunfire) with the hiding terrorists.
“Troops of 53 Rashtriya Rifles have rushed to the spot, and the cordon has been reinforced to ensure that the terrorists are prevented from escaping under the cover of darkness,” a top source said.
The area falls under the jurisdiction of Khansahib police station of Budgam, the source said, adding that reportedly, two terrorists are trapped inside the cordon.
Reinforcements of police and CRPF have also moved in to strengthen the cordon.
Major anti-terrorist operations have previously also been carried out in Budgam district, including January 2023 operations in Charar Shareef (Zinpanchal/Hapatnar) and Redbugh (Magam) area in which two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists were killed in a brief gunfight.
In January 2022, three Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) terrorists were killed during an overnight encounter in Zolwa Chadoora village.
In October 2020, encounters in the Chadoora and Nowgam outskirts resulted in the killing of terrorists.
The biggest operation was carried out in Charar-e-Sharief town of Budgam in 1995. The operation resulted in a 66-day military standoff because of the siege led by Pakistani terrorist Mast Gul at the historic Sufi shrine of J&K.
In February and March 1995, Mast Gul and a group of armed terrorists took control of the town and holed up in the 14th-century shrine of Sheikh Noor-ud-din Noorani.
Joint forces surrounded the town to cut off supplies and force a surrender.
The army avoided a direct assault to protect the holy shrine and prevent civilian deaths.
Terrorists placed explosive devices and landmines on the roads to block troops.
The tense standoff lasted for more than two months. On the night of May 11, 1995, a massive fire broke out and destroyed the shrine and hundreds of wooden homes in the town. The cornered terrorists set the fire and Mast Gul managed to escape during the confusion and returned to Pakistan.
The fighting resulted in the deaths of about 20 militants, two soldiers, and five civilians.
(IANS)
