Abid Bashir
Srinagar (NVI): Security forces have launched a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) in southern districts of Pulwama and Shopian in a bid to flush out terrorists, official sources said.
Officials said that joint teams of Army, police and CRPF launched the search operations in several villages in Shopian district that include Nully Poshwari, Imamsahib and Yuwam. “A joint search was launched in Chuwan, Keller village of Shopian also,” officials said.
They said that CASO was also launched in many Pulwama villages including Jamia Mohalla, Tiken area.
A police officer told NVI that it’s a “speculative CASO” and so far no contact has been established with the terrorists in any of the twin districts — Pulwama and Shopian. “Such CASOs are part of the security drills as it forces terrorists to change their locations and hideouts which ultimately helps us to track them down,” he said.
This year so far, 130 terrorists have been killed in a series of anti-militancy operations which includes top commanders of Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed outfit. Hizb has borne the maximum brunt as the outfit has lost 60 terrorists alone including its chief operational commander Reyaz Naikoo.
Official figures suggest that since June 1, 50 terrorists have been killed in various counter insurgency operations across Kashmir.
-CHK
