Detail Of Terrorism Update

Reports from the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir have indicated that the security forces shot dead seven terrorists, including a ‘district commander’, of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit during an encounter at Andrawali dhok under the jurisdiction of Mandi police station on February 20. At least three terrorists are reported to have escaped from the incident site. Six AK rifles with 18 magazines, a pistol, two wireless sets, eight blankets and a large quantity of eatables were recovered from the slain terrorists’ possession.

According to official sources, three cadres of the Al Badr Mujahideen were killed in an encounter with the security forces at Hassanpora village in the Anantnag district. A spokesperson of the Al Badr told the local news agency CNS over telephone that the outfit’s ‘district commander’ for Anantnag, identified as Ashfaq Rehmani, was killed in the incident.

Meanwhile, the charred dead body of a civilian was recovered from Kokernag in the Anantnag district. According to sources, he had been abducted by unidentified terrorists from his residence two days ago and subsequently burnt to death. Separately, terrorists shot dead a civilian and injured another in the Handwara area of Kupwara district. Further, a civilian was shot at and injured by unidentified terrorists at Wandi Booli in the Doda district.

Separately, security force personnel destroyed a terrorist hideout in the Manuwali forests of Poonch district and recovered six hand grenades, and a large quantity of ration. However, no arrests were made from the hideout.

According to media reports, security forces have shot dead seven Maoist insurgents at Pedari in the Bankati Village Development Committee (VDC) area of Banke district on February 19.

Meanwhile, delayed reports said that Maoists have abducted at least 300 students and six teachers from a school at Holeree village in the Rolpa district of western Nepal. Further, the Maoists have reportedly rendered 286 students under ‘house arrest’ at the Bhaisoli VDC area in Accham district.

In a separate incident, the insurgents detonated a bomb in the premises of District Education Office at Kalaiya Gangapur in Bara district on February 19.

Reports quoting Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) sources said that six Maoist insurgents and three top-Maoist leaders, including ‘company commander; of the Mechi-Koshi ‘seventh brigade’, Gagan Bahadur Bharati, Maoist chief of the Bhirgaun VDC area, Udaya Bahadur Basnyat, and vice-president of the Kirat National Liberation Front, Dhankuta, Tilak Prasad Rai, surrendered before the security forces in Dhankuta on February 20. They also handed over two 7.62 SLRs, 156 live bullets, two .303 rifles and 70 bullets to the authorities. Separately, another Maoist surrendered before the authorities at Nagin in Paanchthar district.

On February 20, a group of fifteen left wing extremists—Naxalites—of the banned People’s War Group (PWG) blasted an office of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) by using detonators at Suraram in the Karimnagar district of Andhra Pradesh. They also reportedly assaulted two Bharatiya Janata Party workers in the same village. Meanwhile, under the impact of the Naxalite threats three TDP leaders have reportedly resigned from their posts citing personal reasons.

Separately, the police arrested five PWG cadres and five persons belonging to the Vimukthipatham, a splinter extremist group, and also seized an unspecified quantity of weapons, landmines and cartridges on February 19.

A college student from Guwahati managed to escape from the custody of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) on February 19. According to sources, the student was abducted by a team of four ULFA terrorists on February 18 and was held captive at Gumothagaon in the Nagaon district of Assam.

Separately, the Deputy Commissioner of Tinsukia, on February 18, has clarified that a team of surrendered ULFA (SULFA) cadres have looted a sum of Rupees one lakh from a house while assisting the army personnel in counter-insurgency operations in Tingrai No 1 Asomiya Gaon under Digboi police station limits in Tinsukia district. Earlier, it was alleged that the army personnel were involved in the looting.