Author: Excelsior Special Correspondent
Publication: Daily Excelsior
URL: http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/web1/05may27/news.htm#5
In a major success, police today
smashed a training centre of Hizbul Mujahideen killing five militants at
Sui Patyala, about 32 kms from Gandoh, bordering Himachal Pradesh, in Doda
district and recovered a large quantity of arms and ammunition.
In another encounter in Doda, three
militants including a 'divisional commander' of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and
two Army jawans were killed at Machan Koti nullah, about six kms from Doda
town this morning.
SSP Doda Prithvi Raj Manhas said
Doda police had launched a search operation at Sui Patyala, bordering Himachal,
two days back following an information that Hizbul Mujahideen outfit was
running a training camp for the militants in the area.
After trekking the hilly area for
two days, the cops planned an operation against the militants in early
hours of this morning. The militants were taken by surprise by the police
raid on their camp, Mr Manhas said, adding this followed an exchange of
fierce gun-battle between the two sides for two and a half hours.
In the operation, all five militants
present in the training camp, were killed. Police didn't suffer any casualties
in the operation, which was meticulously planned.
According to the SSP Doda, bodies
of the militants are being brought to Gandoh. Their identity has not been
established so far. A large quantity of arms and ammunition have also been
recovered from the training camp.
The training camp for the local
militants was being run by a Hizbul Mujahideen commander at Sui Patyala
for past quite sometime. The 'commander' was not present in the hideout
when the raid was carried out.
The busting of the militant training
camp and killing of their five activists was a big setback to Hizbul Mujahideen
outfit, official sources said.
They said another encounter took
place between a patrol party of 8 Rashtriya Rifles, assisted CRPF and police,
with a group of three militants at Machan Koti nullah, about six kms from
Doda town late last evening.
The militants, who had taken shelter
inside a natural cave, opened firing on the security personnel killing
two Army jawans including Havildar Harbhajan Singh of Punjab and Mohd Jabbar,
a soldier of Territorial Army, hailing from Marmat.
In the morning, the troops gunned
down one militant as soon as he came out of the cave and tried to escape.
Two other militants were killed this evening.
Two slain militants have been identified
as Mohd Shaffi son of Ghulam Qadir R/o Aal, Udhyanpur, a 'divisional commander'
of Lashkar-e-Toiba, Mohd Maqbool alias Abu Bakar son of Ghulam Ahmed Rasool
R/o Beoli, Doda. Identity of their third associate hasn't been established.
Recoveries made from the scene of
encounter include two AK-47 rifles, one destroyed wireless set, 19 cassettes,
eight tape recorders, a large quantity of ration and eatables, blankets
and one lantern.
Brig M S Rohail supervised the operation
along with SP (Operations) Doda Varinder Sharma.
