Security forces destroy militant hideout in Handwara forest, recover AK-47 and ammunition

Security forces on Wednesday found and destroyed a militant hideout in a forest in the Handwara area of Kupwara district in Jammu and Kashmir. A large cache of arms and ammunition was recovered during the search.

According to officials, acting on specific information, Handwara Police carried out a joint search operation with 21 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and the 92 Battalion of the CRPF in the Nagdanar forest area of Handwara. During the operation, the team came across an old hideout in the forest, which the joint team destroyed.

Security forces seized one AK-47 rifle, three hand grenades, 857 AK-47 cartridges, 192 PIKA rounds, eight AK-47 magazines, one silencer and 83 pistol cartridges from the spot. Some objectionable material was also found there.

Handwara Police have registered FIR number 232 in the case and begun action under various sections. Investigators are now looking into where the weapons came from and which active militant network is behind them.

In September, too, joint forces had busted a militant module in the Handwara-Kupwara area. The module was said to be working in hybrid mode, allegedly for the banned militant organisation Hizbul Mujahideen. Manzoor Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Kruhmura in Handwara, was arrested in that action. A China-made pistol, two magazines and 16 live cartridges were recovered from him.

According to security agencies, hybrid militancy is part of the changing face of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir. Such hybrid militants are generally not listed as active militants in security records and live like ordinary citizens. When militant organisations assign them a target, they carry out an attack and then try to return to their daily routine.