Jammu: The northern army commander Lt General Upendra Dwivedi on Friday said that slain militants in Rajouri military operation seems have got trained in Afghanistan and other countries and their killing was a major setback to “militancy and its eco-system” in Rajouri-Poonch area.
Talking to reporters on the side-lines of a wreath laying ceremony of killed armed forces personnel, including two captains in Jammu, the northern army commander Lt General Upendra Dwivedi said that the two slain militants were highly trained. “It seems that they were trained in Pakistan, Afghanistan and other countries,” he said.
He said that the supreme sacrifices made by five army personnel including two captains has raised the morale of other forces and all are committed to eliminate the militants from the JK.
Asked about the number of militants active in Peer Panjal range, the army officer said that killing of two highly trained militants has resulted in a major setback to militancy and its ecosystem in the region.
“The number of militants operating in the area may vary as Poonch and Rajouri are connected with the highway. At least 20 to 25 militants are still operating in the area and with the help of active support of police and human intelligence, we will be able to root out the militancy within a year from the region,” he said.
On Thursday, the army killed two militants in the Rajouri operation and identified one of the slain as the top Lashkar-e-Toiba commander Qari of Pakistan. The army said slain Qari was an IED expert and sniper trained to hide in caves and forests.
Meanwhile, LG Manoj Sinha and DGP RR Swain paid floral tributes to the army personnel killed in the operation.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by FPK staff and is published from a syndicated feed from KNO.)
