Militant hideout busted in J&K's Doda district

A huge cache of arms and ammunition in Chirala forest was busted by security forces

Security forces on Monday busted a militant hideout and seized a huge cache of arms and ammunition in Chirala forest of Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district.

Troops of 26 Rashtriya Rifles and Special Operation Group (SOG) of J&K police launched a joint search operation in Sunarthwa forest near GostiBowl in Doda district and unearthed the hideout,an Army officer based in Thathri said.

"After a 36-hour operation, they busted a terrorist hideout from a natural cave and seized fourweapons and other arms and ammunition including one AK 56 rifle, two 9mm pistols, one country-made pistol, seven AK magazines, two 9 mm pistol magazines, one pika magazine, four UBGL grenades, five Pakistan-origin hand grenades and 1696 rounds of 7.62 mm AK 47," he said.

Following inputs about suspicious movement of personnel in the area for the last three months, army had strengthened vigil there, the army officer said.

Three columns (of 50 to 70 personnel each) of the army, six SOG personnel and a head constable were part of the team that carried out the operation, he said.

He said it was suspected the seized arms belonged to one of the terrorist outfits active in the area in the past. They were handed over to the Thathri police and an FIR was subsequently registered.