Chinese flags recovered from terror hideouts; 44 held

Possibly for the first time in Kashmir, security forces have recovered Chinese flags along with incriminating material during raids at suspected hideouts of militants in Baramulla and arrested 44 people for their alleged involvement in "terror-related activiites".

"Over 700 houses were searched in a span of 12 hours on October 17 in an extensive search operation in old town in Baramulla, during which 44 persons involved with terror related activities have been apprehended," an army spokesman said here tonight.

The security forces sanitised the area and a number of hideouts were busted during the operation, the spokesman said.

"A large quantity of incriminating material such as petrol bombs, Chinese and Pakistani flags, Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) letter head pads, unauthorized mobile phones and seditious anti-national publicity material were seized," he added.

He said the operation was jointly carried out by teams of army, police, BSF and CRPF in 10 sensitive localities including Qazi Hamam, Ganai Hamam, Taweed Gunj, Jamia and other mohallas reportedly being used as "safe havens by the terrorists".

Meanwhile, police, in a major crackdown, has arrested 122 more people allegedly involved in disrupting the public order in the valley.

"Continuing its action against the persons involved in disrupting the public order in different parts of the valley, police arrested 122 such individuals during past 24 hours," a police spokesman said.

Kashmir valley had witnessed unrest following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in an encounter with security forces on July 8.