CASO in Krishna Ghati forests enters 3rd day

Rajouri, Jan 14: The Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) in areas of Krishna Ghati forests in Poonch continued for a third day on Sunday.

However, suspected terrorists, who fired upon an army convoy in the area on Friday evening, continued to elude security forces.

Although there was no loss in this incident, it spread panic among the local population. Security forces cordoned the area soon after firing and launched a massive search operation.

The incident, army said, happened on Friday at 6 pm when its convoy was passing through the area and suspected terrorists fired upon the vehicle.

The army personnel followed the necessary drill and response but didn’t fire due to the presence of the local population, the army had stated after the incident.

In order to track the suspected terrorists, a massive search operation was launched in the area on Friday evening and the area was cordoned from all possible sides.

The incident site, called Kawariya, is located between Lower Krishna Ghati and Krishna Ghati on Mendhar-Poonch road.

A thinly populated area, it is surrounded by dense forests from almost all sides.

On Saturday also, the joint teams of forces, led by the army, carried out an operation in the area and continued searches to track the suspected terrorists, believed to be involved in Friday’s incident.

However, as per latest reports, there was no operational success so far and there was no trace of suspected terrorists in the area.

Security in the entire Pir Panjal region, comprising Rajouri and Poonch districts, is on high alert after a series of terror related incidents and encounters in the area in the recent past. Four army soldiers lost their lives and an equal number of soldiers were injured when their vehicles were ambushed by terrorists on December 21 last year on DKG-Bufliyaz road in Surankote sub division of Poonch district.

Besides, four tiffin IEDs, bullets, wireless communication device and a tape recorder were recovered by CRPF and Police from Hayatpura village of Manjakote in Rajouri district on Thursday during a search operation. Security forces claimed to have foiled a terror plot by timely recovery.