Operation to hunt militants continues in J&K

To track down the militants, including self-styled Lashkar-e-Tayiba commander Abu Moosa, responsible for killing of two jawans of Territorial Army on January 1, police on Tuesday carried out an operation in Gool area of Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir.

"The operation has entered the second consecutive day today. There was fierce gunbattle on Monday evening. Search operation has been restarted on Tuesday morning," Deputy Inspector General of Police, Ramban-Doda-Kishtwar range, Manish Sinha told PTI.

An operation has been going on to track down the militants responsible for the killing of 2 TA jawans in Bhimdasa area of Gool belt of Ramban district, he said.

During the search operations in Kheori Kund, Bhatpora, Bhimdasa and Gool areas of the district, a fierce gunbattle broke out between militants and troops. Since the area was full of dense forests and rugged mountains, the operation to track down the movements of top Let commander Abu Moosa, who is reportedly instrumental in their killing, became very difficult, he said.

Two jawans -- Mohmmad Sharief and Mohmmad Khalil of 163 Territorial Army Battalion -- were killed when they had gone for a specific operation in Khora-Baghpora area in Bhimdasa belt of Gool tehsil in Ramban district on January 1.

Their bodies were recovered during an operation by army, which also busted a hideout close to area and recovered two rifles.