The joint team of security forces on Tuesday neutralised both the surviving militants to end the 60-hour- long gun battle in the vicinity of Army’s Poonch Brigade headquarters.
A total number of four militants were killed during the three day long operation at two separate locations involving the under-construction mini-secretariat complex and a civilian house in Allahpir area of Poonch town.
At both the places the security forces recovered two dead bodies each during the search operations.The operation started on Sunday morning around
7.20 am after Haji Nazir Hussain, a close relative of Congress MlC and deputy Chairman of J&K legislative council Jehangir Mir, had raised an alarm about the presence of militant inside their house and had informed the police through one of his local friends.
One policeman of CID wing was martyred while seven others including two army jawans, two civilians, one para commando, and one sub inspector of state police were injured during the operation.
Soon after the operation was officially concluded chants of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' rent the air.
Several hundred people had converged on the periphery of the encounter site and the remaining stood atop their rooftops to greet the commandos of the Indian army and jawans of special operations group (SOG) of state police.
The local residents also raised anti-Pak slogans to register their anger. Due to ongoing encounter the Eid festivities in Poonch were low key as every one in the area was worried over the outcome of the fierce fire fight.
Briefing media persons at the encounter site Brigadier AS Pandarkar of Poonch based 93 Brigade Headquarters said, " all four militants were killed and their dead bodies have been recovered, two each from both the buildings, where the operation was conducted since Sunday morning".
Brigadier Pandarkar said the operation has been formally called off but thorough searches would continue to ensure no 'booby' traps were left behind.
The army officer when asked to comment on the exact target of the fidayeen group said, at this stage it is very difficult to comment.
Army's Brigade Headquarter, District Police centre and numerous other vital installations were located in the close vicinity of the encounter site.
He maintained the fidayeen group may have planned to target any of these but they were prevented from doing so and neutralised by the joint team of security forces in a successful manner. When asked about the whereabouts of the militant group and whether they had recently sneaked in from across the line of control or travelled via Mughal road from Kashmir valley Brigadier Pandarkar said, "Shortly we will come out with the detailed investigations and their modus operandi and exact background".
Brigadier AS Pandarkar also claimed it was a complicated operation as it involved clearing of huge building complex with large number of rooms. "We wanted to avoid any collateral damage so we deliberately delayed the operation and conducted it step by step". He said the biggest challenge for us was to clear the rooms and ensure safety of our jawans.
To gain entry inside the building the commando teams first blasted portion of walls on the top floor and then with the help of ladders they climbed the 3 storey building and started the search operation from top to the ground floor.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Poonch Jatinder Singh Johar, who led his team of commandos from the front told reporters, " on day one of the militant attack one militant was killed, another one was killed on Monday and two others were neutralised on Tuesday". He said so far we have recovered 4 AK 47 rifles, one Under barrel grenade launcher (UBGl) and 16 magazines.
Johar said, "the biggest challenge for us was to avoid any collateral damage". He said the under construction mini secretariat complex was a huge building and there was huge built up area where civilian population was located.So we have to plan our strategy in a manner to avoid injury to any civilian and loss of property".
The local police also had to struggle hard to control the enthusiastic crowd as they wanted to catch the glimpse of the battered mini secretariat complex. The mini secretariat complex building, built at a cost of over 40 crores took the maximum brunt of use of heavy fire power as security forces struggled hard to pin down the militants.
Official sources said the militants were able to survive as they had taken shelter behind concrete walls and cement bags to confuse the security forces. According to commandos who participated in the three day long operation, "the militants were regularly changing their positions to confuse the security forces. They had a huge advantage of concrete building and since the building was under construction it was easy for them to move around and find easy cover".