Indian Army busts militants’ hideout in Kashmir; recovers Pakistani mines

In a joint operation, the Indian Army and Kashmir police have busted a hideout of militants in Poonch district. The forces recovered Pakistani mines and other weapons from the site.

Security forces, who have been maintaining high vigil in the Valley following the recent attacks on migrant workers, busted the hideout of militants based on specific intelligence inputs. The joint operation was conducted by the Indian Army’s Romeo Force and a Special Operation Group of the Kashmir police in Poonch on Saturday.

The security forces unearthed the hideout during a search operation in the Balnoi sector of the Mendhar subdivision, officials said. In the searches, two hand grenades and three mines were seized from the hideout, they said. However, no arrests were made by security forces.

Security forces have been conducting extensive search operations in Kashmir following three recent attacks targeting migrant workers in Kashmir. On October 24, a migrant labourer from Uttar Pradesh, Pritam Singh, was attacked by militants. Singh suffered minor injuries in the attack.

In the tragic Ganderbal terror attack on October 20, seven persons including a local doctor were killed. The workers were engaged in the construction of Z-Morh tunnel near Gagangeer. On October 16, Ashok Kumar, a labourer from Bihar, was shot dead in Shopian.

Targeted attacks against migrant workers have been on the rise since the National Conference-led government came to power in Kashmir. On Saturday,  Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said the death of the innocent workers will be avenged. "It has been resolved that every drop of blood shed will be avenged by our security forces,” he said while addressing the passing out-cum-attestation parade of the Border Security Force (BSF) at Humhama in Srinagar.