J&K: Army launches massive search operation in Shopian district

Srinagar: After repeated terror incidents in the Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir, the police on Thursday launched a massive anti-terror operation and cordoned off almost two dozen villages in the area. Considering an increase in militancy related incidents in the area in the past few days, the search operations were launched. Suspected terrorists barged into a police post guarding the court complex of southern Shopian late on Tuesday night, and fled with five service rifles.The terrorists decamped along with five service rifles including four INSAS rifles and an AK-47 rifle. Earlier, following the two bank robberies that took place in Pulwama on Wednesday where around Rs 65,000 were looted. Pulwama Superintendant of Police Rayees Mohammed Bhat revealed that preliminary investigation has established the involvement of the terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). "Until now, we have identified one militant each from Padgampora and Khagpura, which proves Lashkar’s involvement in the incident," he said. "It is clear that militant organisations like these are short of cash. We have also seen that they now carry more advanced technological gadgets. We are continuing the investigation," he added. The gunmen looted two banks, in separate incidents, in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district, within few hours. Bank robberies and weapon snatching incidents have been on the rise in the Valley recently, triggering an alert. Earlier a terrorist was caught alive while he was attempting to snatch a gun from a CRPF jawan on duty outside the Jammu and Kashmir bank. On questioning the terrorist revealed that his partner gave him a task to steal the gun from the CRPF personnel. While his partner fled from the spot, he got nabbed by the CRPF jawan.