Intel, locals, military dog: Army officer on how 3 terrorists were killed in J&K

In a swift counter-terrorism operation, the Indian Army on Tuesday successfully neutralised three heavily-armed terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Akhnoor sector in a span of two days. The mission, named “Operation Asan”, was led by Major General Sameer Srivastava, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division.
Sharing details of the operation, Major General Srivastava said that troops launched the mission at around 7.20 am on Monday and soon concluded it with killing all three terrorists holed up in a forest area near a village in the Akhnoor sector, taking the number of militants killed in the 27-hour gunfight near the Line of Control (LoC) to three.
Speaking about the success of the operation, Major General Srivastava said that it was “a clean and successful operation” with no reported injuries to civilians or security forces apart from the loss of an Army dog ‘Phantom’ who played a critical role in the search operation.
Phantom sustained fatal bullet injuries on Monday while attempting to protect the troops when one of the terrorists opened fire.
“Army will not allow the terrorists a free run to harm civilians,” he said.
The success of Operation Asan, according to Srivastava, owes much to local villagers who provided vital assistance in detecting the terrorists’ movements. Intelligence inputs had earlier indicated a major attack was being planned by these terrorists, who appeared well-prepared and familiar with the terrain, suggesting they had been operating in the hinterland for some time.
During the operation, the Army deployed advanced surveillance technology, including UAVs and artificial intelligence tools, to monitor the movements of the terrorists, he added.
According to the Army, the terrorists were dressed in combat uniforms and carried sophisticated weaponry, including an M4 E rifle — an armament reportedly recovered for the first time in this region, raising alarm about the scale of their potential plans.
Intelligence reports also suggested that the terrorists were possibly preparing for an attack of the magnitude seen in Gulmarg, aiming to inflict maximum casualties ahead of Diwali.
Major General Srivastava noted that while no recent infiltration had been detected in the area, these terrorists had likely entered the region recently. Intelligence reports also suggest that around 50 to 60 trained terrorists are waiting across the border on several launch pads to infiltrate into India.
When asked about the recovery of sophisticated M-4 carbine from the slain terrorists and the possibility of Pakistan army directly providing arms to the terrorists, Major General Srivastava said, “The source (of providing arms) can be many and it is very difficult to speculate”.