Srinagar, Aug 7 (IANS) The anti-terrorist operation in the Akhal forest area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district entered the seventh day on Thursday as the GOC-n-C of the Army’s northern command reviewed the counter-terrorism grid in south Kashmir districts.

The security operation in the Akhal forest area of Kulgam district started last week after joint forces began a cordon and search operation (CASO) in the region following intelligence inputs about the presence of a group of terrorists there.

One local terrorist was killed and another injured in the initial exchange of gunfire between the joint forces and the terrorists.

Four army soldiers sustained injuries in the initial exchange of gunfire, and they were rushed to the hospital for treatment.

Officials said on Thursday, “Operation Akhal continues, heavy firing and explosions heard throughout the night. The operation is expected to continue for the coming days and could be the longest in Kashmir in decades.”

Meanwhile, Northern Army Commander Lt General Pratik Sharma visited Devsar and reviewed the Counter-Terrorism Grid in South Kashmir, where he was briefed on the security situation, operational readiness, and ongoing operations.

The Army has deployed Rudra helicopters, drones and Para Commandos to ensure that the hiding terrorists are unable to escape.

Security forces have been carrying out aggressive operations against the terrorists in the hinterland, while the Army has been on maximum alert guarding the line of control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.

The elimination of three hardcore Pakistani terrorists responsible for the April 22 Pahalgam attack, in which 26 civilians were killed, is part of the aggressive operations being carried out by the joint forces.

Three hardcore Pakistani terrorists, including LeT commander Suleman Shah and his two associates Abu Hamza and Jibran Bhai, responsible for the Pahalgam attack, were killed on July 28 in the higher reaches of Dachigam National Park at the foot of Mahadev mountain peak in the Harwan area of Srinagar.

The army code-named this operation as ‘Operation Mahadev’. After the Pahalgam terror attack, the security forces are carrying out anti-terrorist operations against gun-wielding terrorists, their overground workers (OGWs) and sympathisers.

Drug smugglers and drug peddlers are also on the radar of the security forces because it is believed that the funds generated by the hawala money racket and drug smuggling are finally used to sustain terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

The coordinated and intelligence-backed operations of the joint forces are aimed at dismantling the ecosystem of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir rather than focusing on just the elimination of the gun-toting terrorists.

–IANS

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