All three dreaded foreign terrorists, who were holed up inside a religious place since Monday morning, were eliminated by the joint team of security forces in the Batal area of Akhnoor in the 27-hour-long anti-terrorist operation without suffering any major collateral damage.
A group of heavily armed terrorists, dressed in combat fatigue, were spotted by the local villagers in the Batal area early Monday morning after three school-going children came in contact with them in the close vicinity of a religious place. The terrorists, it is believed, were tasked to target an army convoy in the area to disturb peace.
One of the three terrorists who fired at an army ambulance was eliminated by the security forces on Monday afternoon. However, special forces were inducted to flush out the terrorists holed up inside the religious place.
The Indian army had also deployed BMP-II, infantry combat vehicles to ferry troops to the nearest location before launching a final assault on the terrorists holed up inside the religious place.
Briefing media persons after Operation ASAN was called off, GoC 10 RAPID (H) Major General Sameer Srivastava along with DIG Samba-Kathua range Shiv Kumar Sharma and Brig Kapil Taneja, Commander 28 Infantry Brigade told reporters, the Indian Army successfully thwarted a terror ambush in the dense jungles of Batal, Jammu, on October 28, 2024, resulting in the elimination of three terrorists.
Major General Sameer Srivastava said the terrorists who targeted the army convoy were present in the area for some time and had not infiltrated recently. He said the operation which started around 7.20 am on Monday was completed in a record time without suffering any collateral damage on Tuesday. He said the operation demonstrated synergy with the Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP) and the Special Operation Group (SOG), bolstered by local intelligence and community assistance. Troops maintained comprehensive domination of the area, operating under challenging conditions during the night.
Major General Sameer Srivastava said Special Forces were mobilised promptly to reinforce the cordon around the fleeing terrorists. Advanced technology, including night surveillance devices, unmanned ground vehicles & surveillance drones ensured real-time tracking and prevented potential escapes. “We have used unmanned vehicles, artificial intelligence that gave us a quick and successful result… We lost one Army Dog - he was ahead when we were doing search operations, and terrorists fired upon the Dog. It’s due to his sacrifice, many of the lives could be saved,” Major General Sameer Shrivastava told reporters during the briefing.
“After this operation, such information was spreading that the Army had used BMP - we had used that kind of vehicle because the area was tough - with a gradient of 30 degrees and dense forest - we used those vehicles after locating terrorists to reach there…,” Major General Shrivastava added.
Referring to some of the rumours in social media, Major General Sameer Srivastava said, “We also want to dispel some rumours going around on Social Media about the use of BMPs in this operation”.
He clarified the hardened vehicles were used to close in with the trapped terrorists. We want to also emphasise that the Indian Army is a professional force and no disrespect to the mortal remains of the slain terrorist has been carried out.
The encounter also led to the recovery of war-like stores from the site, which, according to Army officials, will be essential for securing the area.
During Operation ASAN, Phantom, a Belgian Malinois dog, from the Indian Army’s canine unit, made the supreme sacrifice. Phantom, born on May 25, 2020, joined the Army in August 2022 and was part of the team pursuing the terrorists in the Sunderbani sector. He was killed while helping security forces advance toward the enemy position.
Honouring Phantom’s role, the White Knight Corps posted a heartfelt tribute on social media platform X. “We salute the supreme sacrifice of our true hero-a valiant Indian Army Dog, Phantom,” the Corps posted. “As our troops were closing in on the trapped terrorists, Phantom drew enemy fire, sustaining fatal injuries. His courage, loyalty, and dedication will never be forgotten,” the Army added.
