Operation Solki: Army, JKP & PMFs foils Pakistan’s attempt to disturb peace in Rajouri

GNS ONLINE NEWS PORTAL

SHYAM SOOD

Presence of hard core LeT terrorists for the last one-year is a cause of concern for IAs
=IAs on their toes to identify/arrest OGWs who facilitated Qari & his associate.

RAJOURI, NOVEMBER 24:–Lt General Dwivedi, Army Commander Northern Command; Lieutenant Governor; Manoj Sinha; General Officer Commanding of the Jammu-based White Knight Corps, Lt General Sandeep Jain, GOC White Knight Corps; DGP, R R Swain, GOC, Romeo Force; and Commander 14 Sector RR were among those who paid floral tributes (at Jammu & Rajouri) to five soldiers martyred in anti-terror ‘Operation Solki’ in Kalakot subdivision of Rajouri district on Wednesday and Thursday.
In this operation two hardcore foreign LeT terrorists, including high ranked terrorist leader code name ‘Qauri were also killed in a dense forest near Bajimaal village.
Security Forces claimed that both the terrorists were operating in Rajouri & Poonch district for the last about one year and Quari was the mastermind of Dhangri and Kandi attacks in Rajouri district.
In the evening on January 1, terrorists entered the Dhangri village and killed 7 innocent civilians including two minor cousins.
On May 5, in an ambush laid by the terrorist in a forest in Kotranka (Kandi) subdistrict, five soldiers including four Para Commandos sacrificed their lives for the country.
If both the terrorists were operating in both the districts for about a year, it seems to be a failure of intelligence agencies (IAs) in tracking their movement and the precious lives of five soldiers could have been saved.
While briefing the reporters at Kalakot about ‘Op Solki’, Commander 14 Sector RR, Brig Soumeet Patnaik said after continuous inputs of movement of these terrorists in general area Kalakot on the night of November 19 after confirmed input, a joint operation with JKP and intelligence agencies were launched in Kabokot area.
It is pertinent to mention here that both the terrorists had food in a religious place at about 7.30 pm and after interaction with some women present there, they left for their hideout.
Next day these terrorists thrashed a person in the forest who was grazing his
livestock for refusing food to them and he shared the information with SFs.
Brig Soummet added that after another input about the presence of these terrorists in Kabokot, troops commenced searching the dense forest at about 8.30 am on November 22.
“While conducting searches, where civilians were also living in Dhokes (pasture), terrorists opened fire. Sensing danger to the lives of innocent women and children, the officer (Captain) came out of his cover and pinned down the terrorists & while saving the lives of the residents, the officer was hit by a stray volley of fire and made the supreme sacrifice,” said Brig.
He added the terrorists taking advantage of the thick undergrowth, large boulders and inhospitable terrain attempted to break contact.
Intense fire fight between the troops & hiding terrorists continued for the whole day. In the evening when troops attempted to look close in with the holed terrorists, they’ll opened fire on the troops resulting in fatal injuries to three soldiers.
Troops in retaliation opened heavy fire & one was hit. During the night additional troops were deployed to seal all the escaping routes.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, night enabled cameras and other modern equipment were
deployed to keep the area under surveillance, through the night.
Search operations resumed the next morning, and troops recovered the body of a terrorist. At about 7.40 am, contact was established with the second terrorist & in the ensuing fire fight another soldier sacrificed his life and at about 1.30 pm a second terrorist was killed.
Troops also recovered two AK 56 rifles, ammunition, magazines along with medicines, food items from the hideout made in a natural cave.
“It can’t be ruled out that these terrorists were planning to initiate terror related activities to bring fear in the civilian population and cause unrest in the area,” said Brig Soumeet Patnaik.
Sources said after it came to fore that high ranked terrorist leader Quari & his associate were present in the area for the last about a year, intelligence agencies swung into action to identify those who have provided food, shelter & other logistic support for their survival.
Arrests of OGWs during the coming days can’t be ruled out.