Massive Anti-Terror Operation Launched in J&K’s Kishtwar After Killing of Two SPOs
Jammu, Nov 14: Security forces have launched a major search operation in Kishtwar district following the killing of two Special Police Officers (SPOs), with joint teams combing dense forest areas to track down the suspected terrorists.
The operation began on Saturday and involves personnel from the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and Village Defence Guards (VDGs). Officials said the teams are searching forest locations across the district as part of efforts to locate those responsible for the attack.
Kishtwar Senior Superintendent of Police Sunny Gupta is overseeing the operation.
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Leaders Visit Families of Slain SPOs
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Sunil Sharma and Kishtwar MLA Shagun Parihar visited the families of the two deceased personnel.
They offered condolences and expressed solidarity with the bereaved families. During the visit, the leaders assured them that authorities would conduct a high-level inquiry into the killings. They also promised fresh recruitment.
How the Two SPOs Were Killed
The deceased personnel, Babi Chand and Rashpal Kumar, were attached to the Special Operations Group (SOG) at Kiyar village in the Dachhan area.
The two officers went missing on Wednesday while travelling on foot from their camp towards an Army post at Dherna in the Dachhan-Marwah belt. They were reportedly heading there to relieve colleagues as part of a rotational duty arrangement.
Security forces launched a search after they failed to return. Their bullet-riddled bodies were recovered from the Dherna Top forest area early Thursday.
Investigators found empty cartridges of Pakistani-origin armour-piercing ammunition at the scene. The attackers also took away the service weapons carried by the two SPOs — an INSAS rifle and a .303 rifle.
Kishtwar Attack Follows Kulgam Terror Incident
The killing of the two SPOs came less than 24 hours after another terrorist attack in South Kashmir. Three Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were injured when terrorists opened fire in the Akhran area near Mir Bazar in Kulgam district.
The back-to-back incidents have renewed questions over official claims that terrorism has ended in Jammu and Kashmir.
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–IANS
