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Massive anti-terror operation launched in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian

By FnF Defence Correspondent | PUBLISHED: 04, May 2017, 13:13 pm IST | UPDATED: 05, May 2017, 15:23 pm IST

Massive anti-terror operation launched in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian Jammu: Security forces on Wednesday launched a massive anti-militancy operation at multiple places in south Kashmir’s Shopian district but their efforts were being hampered by stone-pelting mobs.

The operations have been launched in six villages falling under Zainapora area in Shopian after security forces received information about movement of militants there, a police official said.

South Kashmir has seen a spate of attacks on banks, especially in southern districts of Shopian and Pulwama this month.

At least 20 villages in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir have been cordoned off early this morning in a joint operation by the Indain Army’s Rashtriya Rifles, the CRPF and the Jammu Kashmir Police.

The operation comes after recent incidents of rifle snatching and bank heists in South Kashmir.  A house to house search is currently underway.

Sources in the Valley have confirmed the development saying the move could be based on information with the Jammu and Kashmir Police. It could also, they say, be a larger move by security personnel to assert its authority in the region given the recent number of incidents of violence and stone-pelting.

Sources say more than 3,000 personnel of the Army, Central Reserve Police Force and Jammu and Kashmir police are involved in the operation launched early this morning. Over two dozen villages, orchards and forest areas are being searched.

A number of videos surfaced recently showing large groups of heavily-armed terrorists marching in the orchards of Shopian in south Kashmir.

Around 100 local young men are suspected to have joined militancy after the unrest triggered by the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani in July last year.

In last three days, terrorists have taken away nine rifles after attacking the police in Kulgam and Shopian. Three banks were also looted in the same area.

On Monday, militants killed five policemen and two private guards of a Jammu Kashmir bank.  On Tuesday night, militants had snatched five rifles from Jammu Kashmir policemen who were deployed at a district court complex.

Officials, however, have said that they had received inputs about the presence of militants at Sahib village and fearing protests and stone pelting, these villages were cordoned off.

This is the first major crackdown or operation that has been launched in South Kashmir after the killing of Hizbul Mujahedeen commander, Burhan Wani last July.

The police official said a large number of security forces are involved in the search operations which started in the middle of the night.

However, the operations were being hampered by small groups of people pelting stones at security forces in these areas, the official said.

He said additional security force personnel have been rushed to the area to chase away the stone-pelters.

So far, no casualties have been reported in the clashes between stone pelters and security forces, he said adding the operations were in progress.

Recently, videos of large groups of militants – in some cases as many as 30 – have surfaced on social media, despite ban imposed by authorities on 22 such sites and applications.

Security agencies believe that these videos were shot in south Kashmir area, especially Shopian district.
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