Ex-Pak soldiers part of militant ranks operating in Jammu & Kashmir: Army commander

Lieutenant General Dwivedi said that at least 20-25 terrorists were active in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch. “ However, with the active support of the Jammu Kashmir police and human intelligence, we will be able to root out terrorism from the region within a year,’’ he said.

Referring to the killing of two foreign militants, he said that “though there have been casualties (on the side of the Army), we have eliminated dreaded militants,’’ he said, adding that it was very important to neutralise them as they were involved into the killing of (two civilians at Rajouri TCP and seven civilians) in Dangri and (five soldiers) in Kandi. They had been active in the area for the past one year and created an ecosystem, with someone providing them arms, ammunition and information.

They were “highly trained foreign militants, possibly trained in Pakistan, Afghanistan and other countries, and that is why it took some time to eliminate them,’’ he said, adding that “our brave soldiers did this commendable task without caring for their lives’’.

He said the supreme sacrifice made by the five Army soldiers, including two captains and a junior commissioned officer, had raised the morale of the troops and that all were committed to eliminating terrorism from the soil of Jammu and Kashmir.

On Thursday, the Army killed two terrorists in a Rajouri encounter and identified one of the slain militants as top Lashkar-e-Toiba commander Qari of Pakistan. It said Qari was an IED expert and a sniper trained to hide in caves and forests.

Lieutenant General Dwivedi also recalled his recent interaction with Launce Naik Sanjay Bisht, one of the deceased soldiers. “I myself gave him a commendation certificate at Budhal on November 18 and asked him about his next programme. He promised me that he would do something within seven days and he bravely sacrificed his life here,” he said.

A statement given by Captain MV Pranjal’s father in Bengaluru will also boost the morale of the soldiers and inspire them to do more such operations for the country, he added.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Lieutenant General Sandeep Jain, general officer commanding of the Nagrota-based White Knight Corps, and DGP RR Swain paid floral tributes to the deceased soldiers.

“I bow to our army bravehearts, Captain MV Pranjal, Captain Shubham Gupta, Havaldar Abdul Majid, Lance Naik Sanjay Bisht, Paratrooper Sachin Laur martyred while protecting the motherland during an anti-terror operation in Rajouri. Their valour and sacrifice will never be forgotten. Condolences to their families,” Sinha posted on X (formerly Twitter) after the wreath-laying ceremony.