Indian Army likely to call off combing operation in J-K's Beri Rakh forest

Poonch (Jammu and Kashmir), July 19 (ANI): The top brass of the Jammu and Kashmir police on Monday said the Indian Army proposes to call off the combing operation following seven days of fierce encounter with the militants in the Beri Rakh forest range in Poonch district.

"This combing operation was going on since the past seven days because we had got this specific information that a group of four to five militants had infiltrated in the forest," said Poonch Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Manmohan Singh.

"We carried out a well planned joint operation of the army with paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the state police as it is a very dense forest. We had to carry out the search in parts by cordoning off the area," he added.

Till now, two militants had been killed in the operation, which is being termed as a successful exercise.

This is the first time militants have been successfully eliminated in an operation carried out at the Beri Rakh range.

"Two militants have been killed and it is a big success for the forces though we had a few casualties. Some of our army soldiers and policemen suffered injuries. But it is a successful operation," said Manmohan Singh.

"It is the first time that such a big operation has been carried out in the Beri Rakh forest area. We have recovered two AK-47 rifles, ammunitions, grenades, Pakistani medicines and other Pakistani materials," he added.

The 37 Rashtriya Rifles commenced massive combing and search operation on July 12, when it was learnt that a couple of militants had infiltrated in the forest belt of Poonch district.

The CRPF and the state police personnel later joined them in this operation. (ANI)