Srinagar, May 17: Army on Monday said that it has killed 11 militants in the operation which started 12 days back in the forests of Rafiabad in North Kashmir maintaining that the operation was not over yet. It also said that huge cache of arms was recovered from militant hideout during searches. Briefing media persons GOC, (Kilo Force) Major General, N George said that 11 militants were killed since May 6, when the operation started in Hafruda forests in Rafiabad and went deep into the Mawar forest area.
“Of these four are locals, and rest have come from across the border. We lost our two soldiers. There is no casualty of any innocent,” he told reporters at Sharifabad Garrison.
As part of the operation, he said, the army Monday busted a hideout deep in the forests and recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition. Around 100 hand grenades, 10-AK-47 rifles, one RPG gun, three 303 rifles, several mines and improvised explosive device (IED) stores were recovered from the hideout which he claimed was abandoned by militants. “It seemed the hideout was used during winter  months.”
The Army, he said, since May 6 has been tracking the movement of the group of militants and established contact with them at several places.
“We deployed the troops on large scale in the area and laid cordon to track them,” he said, adding that it was a group of 14 to 24 militants, which he said had not infiltrated as one unit.
The identity of the militants or their affiliation to any outfit has not been ascertained yet, he said.
Asked about attempts being made by militants to infiltrate into this side, he said; “There are certain issues beyond our control. Militants are making attempts to crossover. In anticipation, we have modified and increased our men to scuttle their attempts,” he added.
On Harkat-ul-Mujahideen’s divisional commander, Basharat Saleem’s killing, he said, he was killed on the basis of “suspicion” that he had contacts with Army. “But we had no contact with him.”

Lastupdate on : Mon, 17 May 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 17 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 18 May 2010 00:00:00 IST