Poonch encounter continues
Bhatti Dhar may turn out to be another Hill Kaka
Shariq Majeed
Tribune News Service

Mendhar (Poonch), January 4
Bhatti Dhar area in Mendhar, where the security forces are engaged in encounter with the militants for the fifth day, may just turn out to be another Hill Kaka.

The militants few years back had turned Hill Kaka area of Surankote in border district Poonch into a liberated zone, had built fortification, and were imparting arms training to misguide youth for inducting into militancy. During the Operation Sarpvanash in Hill Kaka area here in 2003, it had taken the Army 10 days to smash the militant bases in the area.

Army sources revealed that the operation started on December 23 after the Army started a cordon and search operation in Bain forest area of Bhatti Dhar area of Mendhar following a specific information about the presence of militants in the dense forest area spread over about 4 sq km.

After spotting the militants on January 1, the security forces entered into a gun battle with the militants and since then the encounter is going on in the forest area that lies just few km from Darana along the Line of Control (LoC). Four militants, one policeman and two soldiers have died in the more than 50-hour long encounter.

The bodies of the killed militants have not been recovered so far. The deceased Army personnel have been identified as Subedar Rakesh Kumar and Naik AP Singh of the Rashtriya Rifles. Special Police Officer (SPO) Naresh Kumar has lost his life yesterday.

The Army sources said it might take the security forces another few days to sanitise the area. They said the fact that the encounter had entered its fifth day indicates that the militants had enough arms and ammunition, food and water with them to sustain themselves in this densely forested and dry area.

Police sources said dreaded militants Abu Dawood, divisional commander of the Jaish-e-Muhammad and Abu Qari, district commander of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) among other four or five militants are trapped in the seized area. The sources said Bainforest of Bhatti Dhar might be one of the largest dumping grounds of arms and ammunition used by the militants since it lies just close to LoC in Mendhar sector.

Meanwhile, the sources said the Army had rushed about 200 para commandos from Udhampur to assist about 2,000 troops of the 39 RR (based in Chattral area) and 37 RR (based at Mendhar) involved in the operation. Sixty SOG men were also assisting the Army in the operation.

PTI adds from Jammu: Meanwhile, the police has arrested Muzaffar Shah, an Assistant Sub-Inspector (retd) from Bhati Dhar, for helping the militants in taking shelter in the area, sources said. During preliminary interrogation, he revealed that the militants used caves for making solid bunkers over the past four years and large number of ultras from different groups have taken shelter there.