Jammu, Nov 24 (KNS): Lt General Upendra Dwivedi, the northern army commander, disclosed that terrorists killed in the recent Rajouri encounter had undergone training in Afghanistan and other foreign countries, dealing a severe blow to the "terrorism and its eco-system" in the Rajouri-Poonch area.
Addressing reporters during a wreath-laying ceremony for fallen soldiers, including two captains, in Jammu, Lt Gen Dwivedi highlighted the high-level training received by the two slain terrorists, suggesting involvement from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and other nations.
He commended the supreme sacrifices of five army soldiers, including two captains, underscoring the heightened morale among troops, who are now more determined than ever to eradicate terrorism from the soil of Jammu and Kashmir.
When questioned about the remaining threat in the Peer Panjal range, Lt Gen Dwivedi acknowledged that despite the setback caused by eliminating two highly trained terrorists in the Rajouri gunfight, 20 to 25 terrorists still operate in the Poonch-Rajouri areas. Expressing confidence, he stated that with active support from the police and human intelligence, terrorism could be eradicated from the region within a year.
The recent Rajouri encounter resulted in the death of two terrorists, one identified as Qari, a top Lashkar-e-Toiba commander from Pakistan, skilled in IED expertise and sniping while adept at hiding in caves and forests.
In a parallel development, LG Manoj Sinha and DGP RR Swain paid heartfelt floral tributes to the fallen soldiers in honor of their supreme sacrifices.(KNS).