Army wiped out 14 militants in backdrop of worst Jammu and Kashmir floods

Massive rescue and relief operations notwithstanding, the Indian army has gone the whole hog against militants killing at least 14 of them and arresting six more. The operation against militants was carried out with the worst floods in the backdrop in September across the Jammu and Kashmir.

"The terrorist activities in September were overshadowed by floods in Kashmir. However, the month saw a number of infiltration attempts and terrorist movement which was foiled by the army, resulting in the elimination of 14 terrorists and apprehension of six others", said Colonel SD Goswami, defence spokesman at Northern Command headquarters.

Colonel Goswami said that with rains lashing the valley causing large-scale flooding in parts of South Kashmir, the army eliminated three terrorists in an encounter at Hanjan Bala near Shopian on September 2.

Within a week, four more terrorists were eliminated at Laribal near Rajwar and Pharkian on September 9 and 10 when Srinagar was reeling under the worst floods. Two more terrorists were eliminated at Machhal on September 17 followed by four more at Tangdhar in Kupwara district on September 19.

Thereafter, one more terrorist was killed at Lolab in Kupwara district on September 30 bringing the total number of terrorists dying in September to 14.

"During the same month, a number of local terrorists were apprehended with the help of Special Operations Group of Police", Colonel Goswami said.

The army's operations against the ultras continued despite the fact that 30,000 troops were deployed for rescue and relief efforts in flood-hit areas. Besides three teams of Naval commandos too were pressed into service to help in rescue operation in north Kashmir. Sixty four transport aircrafts and helicopters of Indian Air Force and Army Aviation Corps were pressed into service for rescue and relief work.

Official figures reveal that 12.5 lakh families have been affected by the floods which claimed 281 lives—196 in Jammu province and 85 in Kashmir valley. Around 29 persons have also been reportedly missing in the floods. Around 5,642 villages were affected across the state. As many as 800 villages were submerged for over two weeks.

"There are now an estimated 8,00,000 internally displaced persons [IDPs] in Jammu and Kashmir. There has been a complete breakdown of an already overburdened healthcare system", said a joint spokesman of doctors and civil society groups.