Srinagar, Jul 6: Security forces on Monday resumed a massive anti-terror operation in the Meemandar area of Shopian district, as the search for two suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists entered its third consecutive day.
The operation, jointly carried out by the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), has been continuing since Friday after surveillance systems detected the movement of the suspected militants in the dense orchards of Meemandar.
According to officials, the encounter began when the hiding terrorists \ opened fire on an approaching Army team, triggering a gunfight. Although there has been no fresh exchange of fire since the initial contact, security forces have maintained a tight cordon and intensified searches to prevent the militants from escaping through the thick orchard cover.
Additional troops from the Army’s Victor Force have been deployed to strengthen the cordon, while all possible escape routes have been sealed. Security personnel have also illuminated parts of the area during the night to counter the natural concealment provided by the dense summer foliage, which creates significant blind spots for surveillance.
Officials said search teams have been conducting systematic sweeps of the orchards and adjoining areas using a combination of conventional tactics and technical surveillance. By the end of the second day of the operation, security forces had cleared several villages while maintaining a tight cordon around the remaining search area.
According to security establishment officials, the trapped militants are believed to be residents of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district.
The operation comes amid heightened security arrangements for the ongoing AmarnathYatra and marks the first reported gunfight in the Kashmir Valley since militants were killed in neighbouringKulgam in October last year.
Officials said the operation also highlights the growing integration of CCTV networks and other technical surveillance tools with conventional intelligence gathering, enabling security forces to detect militant movement more accurately and launch targeted operations while reducing reliance on prolonged area domination searches.
